As part of the EMBRACE project, which focuses on resolving incidents caused by biotoxins, a project symposium was held in The Hague on October 15, 2025. TPEB CR was represented by doc. PhDr. Vít Střítecký, M.Phil., PhD. and Mgr. Eliška Špeldová. The meeting was held at OPCW ChemTech, in the building of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The project meeting focused on evaluating the first year of the EMBRACE project, which was very successful for TPEB CR, because we completed the first part of the so-called Standardization Roadmap, a document mapping existing standards in the field of biotoxins and focusing on missing standardization documents and protocols in resolving biotox incidents.
Biotoxins represent a very special class of threats that conventional crisis management structures in Europe are currently poorly equipped to address, but which also offer the opportunity to strengthen and adapt these structures with dedicated approaches and solutions. Differently from other chemical or biological agents, their distinctive properties require specialised detection, protection, and response measures. Accidental laboratory leaks caused by human error or poorly designed processes, alongside the relative ease of producing some toxins, mean both accidental and deliberate incidents are plausible and potentially devastating. These risks demand a coordinated European response that can protect citizens, responders, and critical infrastructure.
The EMBRACE project, funded under Horizon Europe , aims to establish a coherent, interoperable European capacity for biotoxin crisis management. Its goals are to: enhance Europe’s preparedness by identifying gaps in current protocols and delivering science-based solutions; design innovative field tools—portable diagnostics, secure sampling methods, improved PPE, and novel decontaminants—that support decision-making in emergencies; provide integrated, standardised solutions that ensure cross-border interoperability; foster collaboration through a Biotoxin Task Force, a permanent forum for expertise and mutual support; and secure long-term impact through a regulatory roadmap, pathways to commercialisation, and an active stakeholder community and secure long-term impact through a regulatory roadmap, pathways to commercialisation, and an active stakeholder community.
