The outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic showed the high impact that biological risks, which know no borders, can have in today’s interconnected world. Countries with rather limited monitoring and response means at border points were particularly affected by the virus, struggling to ensure rapid testing and follow-up, facing a shortage of equipment, or lacking coordination between the different state organisations responsible for responding to such a threat, to name a few challenges.
The events linked to the COVID 19 pandemic, as well as to other biohazards in the past, highlights the relevance of enhancing biosafety and biosecurity capabilities within and across borders to ensure the minimisation of bio risk-induced health consequences, human and economic losses.
Simulating a biological hazard scenario at borders
As part of its mission to advance CBRN risk mitigation and enhance security and safety worldwide, the European Union supported a capacity-building programme in Georgia to strengthen the country’s frontline biosafety and biosecurity capacities.
The four-day event (25 – 28 February 2025), featuring a national training and tabletop exercise, involved 30 participants from the Patrol Police Department, Emergency Management Service, and Customs Department.
The tabletop exercise provided an opportunity for hands-on application of the knowledge gained during the training. Participants engaged in a discussion about a hypothetical biological hazard scenario at the state border.
A continuous collaborative effort
The capacity-building programme was organised through a collaborative effort of Georgian national trainers, the team implementing the EU CBRN CoE Project 100, and the Georgian CBRN National Focal Point.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy hosted the training, which was highly interactive. Participants emphasised in their evaluations that such trainings have significant importance, expressing interest in participating in future similar programs. Both pre- and post-training assessments revealed a considerable improvement in participants’ knowledge of biosafety and biosecurity measures.
Georgia was the first country to conduct this national training within the framework of EU CBRN CoE Project 100.
The country remains committed to continuing to integrate the curriculum provided by the project. Additionally, Georgia plans to organise similar training activities in the future to further enhance the capabilities of its frontline responders in biosafety and biosecurity.
Strengthening frontline biosafety and biosecurity in South East and Eastern Europe
The national training and tabletop exercise in Georgia was supported through the EU CBRN CoE Project 100 – ‘Strengthening of Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity Measures in South East and Eastern European Region’.
Established in the context of the EU CBRN CoE Initiative, the three-year project (May 2023 – April 2026) is working to enhance bio threat monitoring and response on state borders and customs clearance zones within and across ten partner countries, namely: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine. All participating countries are part of the EU CBRN CoE Regional Secretariat for South East and Eastern Europe.
Funded by the European Union, the project is implemented by the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU). The STCU supports the promotion of a culture of safety and security, and responsible science by advancing civilian science and technology partnerships addressing CBRN risks.
Visit the project’s page for a complete overview of its context, scope, and major activities.
To learn more about the EU CBRN CoE support to CBRN risk mitigation in South East and Eastern Europe, visit the Regional Secretariat page.
