2025 Crisis Preparedness Training: Annual Report

Abstract In 2025, The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) organised two crisis preparedness trainings: one external crisis exercise simulating a “One Health” crisis response to a vector‐borne disease outbreak, and one internal crisis exercise to assess and discuss EFSA's role in crisis communication during an animal health incident under Regulation 178/2002, which escalates into a public health crisis under Regulation 2022/2371 on Serious Cross Border Threats to Health (SCBTH). The exercises were also aiming at testing EFSA's procedures for crisis response. The two‐and‐half‐day external exercise was co‐organised with the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, and consisted in presentations, facilitated discussions and a crisis simulation exercise based on a fictional, multifaceted scenario combining animal health, public health and food safety aspects. The training mainly focused on how to integrate and implement a national and multi‐agency response process to ensure a united crisis response under “One Health” approach. The internal crisis preparedness training focused on i) outlining EFSA's role regarding crisis communication, and the differences whether EFSA's assistance is requested under EU General Food Law (Reg. (EC) 178/2002) or for a serious cross border threat to health (Reg. (EU) 2022/2371), and ii) reviewing the adequacy of EFSA crisis procedures. The objectives of both events were achieved, based on recorded outcomes and feedback provided by participants. This Annual Report provides a concise summary of the external training, which was subject to a dedicated event report (EFSA, 2025), and a more detailed overview of the internal event, including its development, content and conclusions, as well as the evaluation received from the participants.