Background
The Exchange Visit is part of a service contract procured by HaDEA on behalf of the European Commission. The acronym “EPIC11” (i.e., Emergency Preparedness Integrated Courses carried out under Article 11) was coined to facilitate the referencing to this service contract during project implementation. EPIC11 focuses on the provision of Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPR) trainings for Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health (SCBTH) in EU Member States and in European Economic Area (EEA) countries. The EPIC11 project was devised in response to the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) call for tenders HADEA/2022/OP/0017 on ‘EU preparedness: analysis, planning, reporting and training programmes for health specialists.
One of the operational objectives is to strengthen PPR planning with targeted training and knowledge-exchange activities for healthcare and public health staff (Article 11 of the regulation).
The aim of the EPIC11 project is to develop an EU Health Preparedness Training Programme that responds to the needs of PPR planners, managers and practitioners, and which addresses current gaps in EU Member States and EEA countries in relation to PPR planning. This EU Health Preparedness Training Programme complements existing training programmes developed and managed by ECDC, WHO, and the EC’s policy departments (DGs), such as SANTE, HERA, ECHO and others, as well as joint actions, various EU-level projects, universities, training institutes and national institutions.
EPIC11 is implemented by GFA Consulting Group GmbH (DE) and its partners: KIT Royal Tropical Institute (NL), and Think Modular (AT).
The overall project vision is to strengthen PPR capacities for future public health emergencies within and across countries through training. The EU Health Preparedness Training Programme will support EU Member States and EEA countries to:
- Build knowledge and skills for more resilient emergency management; and
- Strengthen communication, collaboration and coordination within and between countries.
The foundation of the EU Health Preparedness Training Programme will be based on a multi-hazard approach to health threats in a cross-sectoral and cross-border setting, focussing on serious cross-border threats to health.
This webpage is dedicated to the Exchange Visit to the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), in Lisbon, Portugal, from 30 September to 2 October 2025.
Aims and Objectives
In line with Regulation 2022/2371 on Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health (SCBTH), this Exchange Visit contributes to enhancing preparedness and response capacities across EU Member States by promoting knowledge sharing and capacity building through professional collaboration.
This Exchange Visit will offer participants an immersive experience into the functioning of Portugal’s PHEOC, with a focus on practical learning and adaptable good practices rather than direct replication.
The overall aim is to deepen operational knowledge of EOC functions at national level aligned with EU and international standards.
The specific objectives are to:
- Deepen on operational knowledge on EOC functions at national level aligned with EU and international standards.
- Engage with the CESP team to observe and discuss day-to-day activities and understand the operational dynamics of a PHEOC.
- Sharing Experiences on early detection, preparedness and response operations, with emphasis on epidemic intelligence, event-based surveillance and indicator-based surveillance.
- Gain hands-on experience in developing emergency documentation and understanding expected outputs.
This exchange is designed to inspire and inform participants through practical exposure and peer exchange. The goal is to support the evolution of context-appropriate emergency operations capacities across the EU.
Date and location
The Exchange Visit will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from Tuesday 30 September to Thursday 2 October 2025, and will run from 9:00 to 17:00 on Day 1 and 2, and from 9:00 to 12:30 on Day 3.
Exchange Visit format
The Exchange Visit is designed as a practical and interactive learning experience, combining structured presentations with immersive, hands-on exposure to Portugal’s PHEOC. The programme will span 2.5 days, combining site visits and workshop activities. While the main sessions will be held at a central venue, smaller group visits to the Portuguese PHEOC at the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) will be organised separately.
The programme will centre around four key pillars of the PHEOC approach, reflecting Portugal’s alignment with WHO and ECDC frameworks:
1. Governance
- Legal and institutional frameworks
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Activation modes and coordination mechanisms
2. Core Functions
- Epidemic Intelligence: Risk assessment using both indicator- and event-based surveillance data
- Preparedness: Building public health and healthcare capacities; development of response plans
- Response: Coordinating across technical teams (epidemiology, laboratories, clinical services, communication)
- Training & Capacity Building: Workshops, seminars and simulation exercises (SimEx)
- Monitoring & Evaluation: After Action Reviews (AAR), Interaction Reviews (IAR) and documentation of lessons learned
- Partnerships: Strengthening national and cross-border collaboration mechanisms
3. Structure and Equipment
- Physical layout, ICT infrastructure and business intelligence tools supporting emergency operations
4. Human Resources
- Team composition, roles and responsibilities, expert profiles
- Targeted training and skills development for PHEOC functions
In addition to presentations and discussions, participants will engage in on-site observations, hands-on activities, group work and peer exchange, allowing reflection on good practices and identification of potential adaptations to national contexts. This format aims to encourage active learning, critical thinking and the co-creation of solutions, reinforcing the visitor’s goal of supporting practical improvements in national PHEOC systems.
Target audience
Host Country: Portugal
Main Guest Country: Slovenia
Maximum Capacity: 30 participants
This workshop is tailored for PHEOC managers and staff, as well as representatives from countries seeking to establish or strengthen their emergency preparedness and response capacities.
Participants will include:
- Representatives from key areas such as surveillance, preparedness and response, risk assessment, emergency coordination and strategic partnerships
- Delegations will come from:
- Portugal (10 participants) – including experts from national, regional and local levels, and eventual partnerships in areas related with health care delivery, animal health and civil protection.
- Slovenia (8 participants), the primary initiator of this event – including representatives from the National Institute of Public Health and the Ministry of Health.
- Invited EU member states (10 participants): up to 3 participants per invited country, identified in collaboration with national EOCNET focal points.
The participant selection will prioritise individuals actively involved in managing or supporting PHEOC functions, ensuring that the visit contributes directly to strengthening operational capacity across Member States.
Preparatory materials
Participants will be asked to prepare:
- A brief summary of the current status of the PHEOC in their country, including its concept, development plans and level of implementation. Bring any relevant legal, strategic, or policy documents if available.
- One or two examples of significant outbreaks or public health events in their country, with a short description of how early detection and response were managed.