On September 2–3, 2026 in Rome, Italy, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Inter-European Union Reference Laboratories (EURLs) Working Group on Next Generation Sequencing will hold the third Science Meets Policy conference under the theme “From Regulation to Practice—Turning WGS into Action for Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation.”

The Science Meets Policy conference series highlights the EU’s ongoing support for the use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data in foodborne pathogen surveillance and outbreak investigation.

EU Progress and Regulations on WGS for Food Safety

EFSA reports that substantial progress has been made in the use of WGS for food safety since the launch of the conference series in 2020, including strengthened laboratory capabilities among Member States and the establishment of the joint EFSA–ECDC One Health WGS system, which has been operational since 2022.

The second Science Meets Policy conference took place in 2023, which highlighted the importance of WGS methodologies and standards, as well as the absence of a legal framework. Following the 2023 conference, the European Commission adopted Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/179, which enters into force in August 2026 and sets requirements for sharing WGS data on pathogens associated with foodborne illness outbreaks.

Science Meets Policy 2026 Details

The upcoming Science Meets Policy event will focus on key technical and policy challenges to WGS implementation, highlighting practical approaches to support competent authorities in complying with the new regulatory framework. It will also explore how food business operators can contribute to data sharing and work collaboratively with competent authorities.

The objectives of the event are to:

• Engage with competent authorities of EU countries on the practical implementation of mandatory requirements under Regulation (EU) 2025/179
• Connect with food industry members as key data holders and highlight the contribution of their WGS data to food safety
• Share examples of collaboration between countries’ competent authorities and food industries across the EU
• Clarify regulatory and technical requirements for WGS data generation and sharing to enable a clear understanding for industry
• Discuss financial challenges, especially for food industries with limited resources.

Additional details about the conference and event registration can be found here.