PRESS RELEASE. Strengthening Moldova’s Border Biosafety and Biosecurity: National Training and Tabletop Exercise Conducted under EU-Funded P100 Initiative
15/2503 Jun 2025 - 04 Jun 2025
Kyiv, Ukraine, June 30, 2025
From 03 to 06 June 2025, Moldova hosted a successful four-day national-level Training Course and Tabletop Exercise (TTX) under the European Union-funded Project P100: Strengthening Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity Measures in the South East and Eastern European Region. The event, held in Chisinau, brought together 33 representatives from Moldova’s key border, customs, and public health institutions to enhance the country’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to biological threats at border crossing points.
The training was organized by the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) in cooperation with Moldova’s national trainers, previously certified through P100’s subregional Train-the-Trainer courses. Over the course of the event, 33 frontline officers and specialists from the Border Police, Customs Service, National Agency for Food Safety, and National Agency for Public Health engaged in intensive training and a scenario-based tabletop exercise tailored to Moldova’s operational context.
Participants deepened their understanding of biosafety and biosecurity protocols, interagency coordination mechanisms, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), waste management, and real-time incident response at borders. The culminating tabletop exercise featured four realistic scenarios, including the detection of an infected passenger and illicit transport of hazardous biological materials, allowing agencies to test national procedures in a controlled, multi-agency setting.
The event revealed a 15.2% average improvement in participant knowledge and received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with the majority of participants rating the course as “Very Good” across all evaluation criteria.
Despite the program’s success, participants highlighted the urgent need for improved field equipment, updated SOPs, and expanded interagency coordination through formalized agreements. The exercise emphasized gaps in epidemiological staffing at key border points and underscored the importance of harmonizing Moldova’s national legislation with EU and international biosafety standards.
This national-level event in Moldova is part of the broader EU CBRN Centres of Excellence P100 initiative, which is implemented by the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) and supports eight partner countries in the South East and Eastern Europe region. By investing in frontline capacity-building, the project aims to improve regional preparedness and response to biological threats, contributing to both public health and security across borders.
STCU, together with the EU, extends its appreciation to all participants, presenters, and organizers who contributed to the success of these events. Their engagement and expertise were vital in achieving the shared mission of a safer, more secure region. This initiative underscores the EU’s and STCU's dedication to strengthening BS&S measures in the SEEE region and fostering international collaboration to mitigate biological threats effectively.