Fifteen Years of Partnership: How the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence Are Building Safer Communities Worldwide
Since 2010 the EU Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centres of Excellence (CoE) Initiative has grown into the world’s largest network for CBRN risk-mitigation, uniting more than 60 partner countries. On its fifteenth anniversary, four recent success stories from Burundi, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Malawi illustrate how long-term cooperation is turning policy into practice and strengthening regional security.
Burundi: A first national act on nuclear safety
In May 2020 Burundi adopted its inaugural Law on the Peaceful Use, Safety and Security of Nuclear Energy. The legislation, drafted by a cross-ministerial team trained under the EU CBRN CoE, sets clear rules for medical radiotherapy, agricultural research and radiation protection.
Key results:
- A dedicated regulatory authority is being prepared, ensuring independent oversight.
- Awareness-raising campaigns have moved CBRN topics from specialist circles to public debate, helping health and agriculture professionals spot potential risks sooner.
- Burundi’s example now guides neighbouring countries that are drafting similar laws.
“The law shows how collaboration can build a safer and more resilient nation,” says National Focal Point Séraphine Ciza.
Cambodia: A playbook for major events
Ahead of the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, the EU-funded Project 62 helped Cambodia launch its first multi-agency CBRN response team and write standard operating procedures for chemical incidents. During the Games the new unit ran a full-scale field exercise that simulated the release of a toxic agent inside a sports venue.
- Twenty-two ministries and agencies trained together, creating a single chain of command.
- The team is now permanently embedded in national protection committees for public events.
- Follow-up projects on biosafety, biosecurity and CBRN forensics are widening the country’s skill set.
“We were once in the back line. Now we are on the front line, detecting and addressing risks before they occur,” explains Major General Vitiea Noeun.
Lao PDR: Trust through transparency in biological security
After a 13-year gap Lao PDR, mentored by the Philippines under the CoE framework, submitted its Confidence-Building Measure report to the Biological Weapons Convention. The move unlocked a cascade of regional cooperation:
- Lao experts are now guiding Viet Nam and Timor-Leste through their own reporting processes.
- Joint workshops with the UK Health Security Agency have sharpened chemical-incident response across five Southeast Asian countries.
- Lao PDR’s achievement won “best success story” at the Ninth International Meeting of National Focal Points in Brussels.
“Even small nations can drive big change when transparency and collaboration are in place,” notes National Focal Point Somsanouk Keobounsan.
Malawi: A National Action Plan that joins the dots
Joining the CoE network in 2015, Malawi adopted its first CBRN National Action Plan in December 2022. The plan streamlines work across health, security, transport and justice, and is backed by concrete institutional reforms:
- Project P60 established an Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, while Project P66 created a Pharmacies and Medicines Regulatory Authority.
- Legislative roadmaps are in motion to domesticate the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions by 2025.
- Cross-border exercises with Zambia have improved the detection of illicit radioactive materials, showing the benefits of regional solidarity.
“A unified strategy means less duplication and clearer priorities,” says National Focal Point Abels Mkandawire.
Why these stories matter
Across four continents a common thread emerges: sustained EU partnership, local ownership and peer-to-peer learning accelerate progress. Whether drafting legislation, training first responders or sharing data, the CoE Initiative helps partners turn isolated efforts into coordinated national systems.
- Capacity that endures. By anchoring know-how in laws, institutions and standard procedures, countries can maintain preparedness long after individual projects end.
- Regional ripple effect. Success in one country often seeds progress in its neighbours, making the Initiative greater than the sum of its parts.
- Whole-of-government approach. Bringing health, defence, customs and academia to the same table avoids silos and speeds up emergency response.
Looking ahead
The next fifteen years will bring new challenges: synthetic biology, dual-use technologies and climate-driven disease outbreaks are reshaping the CBRN landscape. Building on the foundations laid since 2010, the CoE network will continue to:
- Invest in emerging expertise such as forensic investigation, cyber-bio security and safe dismantlement of CBRN facilities.
- Promote south–south mentoring, expanding the model proven by Lao PDR and the Philippines.
- Deepen regional exercises, ensuring that borders are not barriers when threats arise.
As these four case studies show, partnership and perseverance pay off. On its fifteenth anniversary the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence Initiative remains a beacon of multilateral cooperation, proving that when knowledge is shared, everyone is safer.
