About Biosafety-Europe

BIOSAFETY-EUROPE is a Coordination Action funded through the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme which started April 1st 2006. The project has 18 partners from 10 European countries and an overall aim of promoting European harmonisation and the exchange of practices relating to biosafety and biosecurity management of biological containment facilities. The project will assess the cost-effectiveness of methods and practices used, develop a programme for training and seminars. It will result in recommendations that may be used for future policy making within the EU.

Containment laboratories provide important services such as diagnostics, health research and vaccine development, all of which play vital roles in the fight against infectious disease epidemics. To minimise any risks that these facilities might pose to society, it is important that European containment laboratories develop efficient and appropriate systems to manage biosecurity and biosafety (biosafety and biosecurity are closely interlinked and thus common systems are required to manage both).

Presentations

European BioSafety Association (EBSA): 3 - 4 April 2008, Florence (Italy)

Biosafety-Europe in the news

European lab accidents raise biosecurity concerns, 19 March 2009, Reuters