STCU News and Announcements
STCU P100 Strengthens Frontline Biosafety and Biosecurity Measures in Southeast and Eastern European Region: Fact-Finding Visit to Serbia
414/49414 Mar 2024 - 15 Mar 2024
PRESS RELEASE
March 22, 2024 – Kiev, Ukraine
In a dedicated effort to enhance frontline biosafety and biosecurity measures across the South East and Eastern Europe (SEEE) region, the STCU P100 Team conducted a fact-finding visit to Serbia on March 14-15, 2024, as part of the P100 initiative: Strengthening Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity Measures in SEEE Region. The primary objective of the visit was to engage stakeholders, evaluate current practices, and identify collaboration opportunities aimed at reinforcing biosafety and biosecurity measures, particularly at border crossing points and customs zones.
Commencing on March 14, Day 1 of the visit started with a plenary meeting hosted at the Institute of Public Health “Dr. Milan Jovanovic Butut”. Representatives from various stakeholders including the Border Police, Customs Service, Public Health Institute, Department of Emergency Situations, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service, the Sanitary Service, and the EU National Focal Point of Serbia participated in the meeting. The meeting featured a comprehensive presentation on Project P100, detailing its objectives, tasks, timelines, and achievements to date. Discussions encompassed various facets including the Serbian institutional framework on biosafety and biosecurity management, biosafety and biosecurity legislation, procedural norms, training programs, and equipment deployment across government institutions and agencies stationed at border crossing points. The discussions also covered fostering interagency and regional collaboration practices.
On Day 2, March 15, the P100 Project team visited the Batrovci Border Crossing Point, located at Serbia's state border with Croatia, where attention was directed towards the practical dimensions of frontline biosafety and biosecurity management. A presentation on P100 objectives was followed by an assessment of existing frontline BS&S protocols, equipment provisions, and training guidelines. Further deliberations were centered around augmenting inter-agency cooperation among state entities stationed at border crossing points and cross-border and regional collaboration.
The fact-finding visit to Serbia, within the framework of Project P100, has provided invaluable insights into the prevailing status of frontline biosafety and biosecurity measures within the SEEE region. It highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts in fortifying Serbia’s resilience against biological threats.
STCU together with the EU expresses its gratitude to the Serbian authorities for their cooperation and commitment to strengthening biosafety and biosecurity measures in the SEEE Region. This initiative underscores STCU's and EU’s dedication to strengthening BS&S measures in the SEEE region and fostering international collaboration to mitigate biological threats effectively.