ANSES and Sciensano have maintained long-standing relations, with the signing of a first framework agreement in June 2009. The purpose of this agreement was to strengthen their cooperation on animal and human diseases, whether or not related to food, as well as than in the area of food safety. They have also signed a scientific collaboration agreement specific to foot-and-mouth disease and bluetongue. The two institutions are now extending these two agreements for a period of five years, in a desire to continue the collaborations initiated. In addition, there are plans to renew the agreements by tacit renewal at the end of this period, once more for a period of 5 years.
Many cooperations
Sciensano is a Belgian public research institution, which works in the fields of human and animal public health. Resulting from the merger between the Center for Veterinary and Agrochemical Study and Research (CERVA) and the Scientific Institute of Public Health (ISP), its areas of expertise are health and the environment; food consumption and food security; animal health; health and disease surveillance and human public health. The collaborations between the two organizations are numerous, with joint participation in numerous European research projects in animal health and food safety, but also in nutrition and toxicology. The Belgian institute ensures the scientific coordination of the European EJP One Health project, coordinated by ANSES. Both organizations are also members of the European network on foodborne zoonoses MED-VET-NET. In addition, since 2019 ANSES and Sciensano have jointly been responsible for the European Union’s reference laboratory mandate for foot-and-mouth disease. New prospects for collaboration are emerging within the framework of the European Union’s next framework program for research and innovation, “Horizon Europe”.
