Inter-sectoral Simulation Exercises on crisis management coordination and response

Better Training for Safer Food” (BTSF) is an initiative of the European Commission’s Health and Food Safety Directorate-General (DG SANTE) aimed at organising a European Union (EU) training strategy in the areas of food law, feed law, animal health and animal welfare rules, as well as plant health rules.

The main goal of the training programme is to prepare, hold and evaluate inter-sectorial table top simulation exercises on outbreak coordination and crisis response involving agri-food chain authorities, and where needed public health authorities, as well as crisis coordinators. These crisis simulation exercises are expected to contribute to:

• improving preparedness and response planning for crisis situations through testing procedures in place at national (contingency plans) and EU level (e.g. the crisis general plan);
• ensuring coherence, interoperability and coordination between the local, national and EU level;
• ensuring interaction between Member States and with international partners concerned by using the appropriate channels;
• ensuring coordination between the competent authority and other stakeholders at national level;
• guaranteeing coordination of risk communication at local, national and EU level;
• improving preparedness to communication and decision-making challenges in crisis situations, such as e.g. deciding when to communicate, how to handle uncertainty when communicating and how to balance scientific assessments vs political evaluation, trade, economic impact, consumer confidence and public health.

(Link to BTSF intersectoral simulation exercise).

Training workshops will be held in Brussels, Belgium. 

Duration: 19/12/2019 – 19/12/2025