The 8th Standing Group of Experts on Rabies for Europe (SGE RAB8) was convened under the GF-TADs umbrella on 28 & 29 September 2026 in Brussels, Belgium, with its opening day aligned with the World Rabies Day, celebrated annually on September 28, reinforcing the shared commitment to sustaining rabies elimination efforts across the European region.
The meeting brought together 32 participants, including representatives from 13 SGE RAB Members (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo*, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine), invited countries (Czech Republic, Portugal, and Lithuania), representatives from FAO and the European Commission, and Rabies experts. The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from the host country, Belgium, represented by its Delegate, followed by a declaration from the GF-TADs President, who welcomed participants and outlined the objectives of the meeting.
Centred on the theme “From Elimination to Resilience: Sustaining rabies elimination in the European Region”, participants reviewed the epidemiological situation across the region, ongoing and prospective oral vaccination campaigns, alongside challenges in preventing rabies control and resurgence. In a session dedicated to the assessment of national surveillance systems, participants further explored practical approaches to improve sampling, such as leveraging road-killed wildlife and fostering stronger stakeholder engagement.
The second day focused on cross-border coordination of oral rabies vaccination campaigns and surveillance, as well as strategies to raise rabies awareness and ensure the long-term sustainability of vaccination programmes. These topics were explored through breakout group exercises, allowing participants to exchange experiences and identify practical approaches.
The conference concluded with key recommendations targeting the need to strengthen passive surveillance, improve stakeholder engagement and ensure timely epidemiological information-sharing, particularly between neighbouring countries.
The II GF-TADs Conference scheduled for January 2027 in Vienna, Austria, will provide an excellent opportunity for SGE RAB Members, Rabies experts and GF-TADs partners to continue discussions on common regional challenges and share progress and achievements.
(More details will be provided soon in the Meeting report jointly with the Final Conclusions and Recommendations of the SGE RAB8.)
| DAY 1 – 28 September 2026 | ||
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Networking lunch and registration of participants | |
| 13:00 – 13:15 | Welcome and introduction Opening remarks Presentation of the objectives of the meeting |
Lajos Bognar, WOAH SRR Brussels B. Van Goethem, chair |
| Session 1: Overview of Regional Epidemiological Situation and Rabies Vaccination Campaigns | ||
| 13:15 – 13:30 | Update on the evolution of the circulation of Rabies Phylogroups in the European Union | E. Robardet, ANSES Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, WOAH/EU Reference Laboratory for rabies |
| 13:30 – 13:45 | Rabies, a major public health risk in Romania | Cristian Siposean, National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) |
| 13:45 – 14:00 | Proposal for oral vaccination piloting for stray dogs in Ukraine | Eran Raizman, FAO |
| Session 2: Strengthening Member Reporting under the GF-TADs Framework | ||
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Members’ presentations | Balkan countries (5): Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo*, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania |
| 15:00 – 15:20 | Coffee break | |
| 15:20 – 15:55 | Members’ presentations | 4 Members: Greece, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine |
| 15:55 – 16:30 | Members’ presentations | 5 Members: Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia |
| 16:30 – 16:45 | Summary of planned ORV campaigns by SGE RAB Members | Denise Dubois, SGE RAB Secretariat |
| 16:45 – 17:00 | New GF-TADs Data Platform: Q&A session | Igor Markovic |
| 17:00 – 17:10 | Discussion and closure of the session 1 & 2 | B. Van Goethem, chair |
| Session 3: Strengthening Passive Surveillance Systems and Control Measures | ||
| 17:10 – 17:25 | How to Assess Rabies Surveillance Systems? | E. Robardet, ANSES Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, WOAH/EU Reference Laboratory for rabies |
| 17:25 – 17:40 | Ukraine: Accessing Rabies Vaccines through the WOAH Vaccine Bank | State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP) |
| 17:40 – 18:00 | Discussion – Q&A | All |
| 18:00 – 18:15 | Closure of the first day | B. Van Goethem, chair |
| 19:00 | Dinner at Hotel NH Collection Brussels Centre | |
| DAY 2 – 29 September 2026 | ||
| Session 4: Cross-Border Coordination & ORV Sustainability – Challenges and Opportunities | ||
| 9:00 – 9:15 | Opening of 2nd day and introduction of Session 4 | B. Van Goethem, chair / Lajos Bognar, SRR Brussels |
| 9:15 – 9:30 | Introduction to the Breakout group exercise: “Cross Border Coordination” | SGE RAB Secretariat |
| 9:30 – 10:45 | Breakout group exercise | All |
| 10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee break | |
| 11:15 – 11:30 | Outcomes of the Breakout group exercise | SGE RAB Secretariat |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Conclusion & Recommendations Closing remarks, next meeting |
B. Van Goethem, chair, FAO and WOAH |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch and departures | |
Members of the SGE on Rabies for Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
