Ref.
2026/KLEP/15100
Job offer type
Experts
Type of contract
Service contract
Activity sectors
Prevention, reduction and adaptation to natural, accidental and malicious risks
Deadline date
2026/04/26 23:55
Duration of the assignment
Beaded expertise
Contract
Freelancer
Duration
36 months
Key Expert - Legal and Law Enforcement – Project “Strengthening Food Safety, Food Defence, and Fraud Measures in the South East and Eastern Europe (SEEE) Region” (M/W)
Département Paix, stabilité, sécurité - P2S > Pôle Prévention, réduction et adaptation aux risques
Published on : 2026/03/26
CONTINENTAL EUROPE
FRANCE
Mission description
Important notice: This position is part of a proposal submitted in response to a European Union call for tenders. At this stage, the project is not yet confirmed and remains subject to contract award.
Under the responsibility of Expertise France and the Project team Leader, the Legal and Law Enforcement Expert will contribute to the strengthening of legal and regulatory frameworks related to food safety, food defence, and food fraud in the SEEE region.
The Expert will support the analysis of existing national legislation, identify gaps in comparison with EU and international standards, and provide recommendations to enhance regulatory and enforcement systems. He/she will contribute to the development and revision of legal documents, policies, and practical guidelines, ensuring their alignment with international best practices.
The Expert will also facilitate collaboration with national authorities and relevant stakeholders, support the organisation of consultations and workshops, and contribute to building capacities in legal and enforcement aspects of food safety and fraud prevention.
Overall, the Expert will ensure that project activities contribute to more coherent, effective, and enforceable legal frameworks at national and regional levels.
The Expert will be engaged throughout the entire project implementation period (indicatively 36 months), on a part-time, intermittent basis. The assignment shall be primarily homebased. Regular travel to the countries of implementation will be required throughout the duration of the project.
Project or context description
The project, titled “Strengthening Food Safety, Food Defence, and Food Fraud Measures in the South East and Eastern Europe (SEEE) Region”, aims to:
- Strengthen legal, technical, and operational capacities in food safety, food defence, and food fraud
- Enhance national and regional preparedness to prevent, detect, and respond to food-related risks
- Improve end-to-end food safety control systems across the supply chain
- Foster regional cooperation and information exchange mechanisms
The project is implemented under the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence Initiative, addressing threats to public health, security, and regional stability.
It will be implemented and structured in two phases:
Phase 1: Analysis
- Legal frameworks;
- Technical and operational capacities;
- Regional cooperation mechanisms.
Phase 2: Capacity building
- Training programmes (including Train-the-Trainers);
- Development of plans (Food Defence and Food Fraud);
- Table-top and simulation exercises.
The project covers 10 Partner Countries in the SEEE region (Republic of Albania, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Serbia, and Ukraine) and involves a wide range of stakeholders, including:
- National authorities (food safety, veterinary, phytosanitary, customs, law enforcement);
- Laboratories and technical institutions;
- Regional and international organisations;
- Private sector actors in the agri-food chain.
The project is characterised by:
- A multi-country and multi-stakeholder environment;
- A high level of technical and institutional complexity;
- Strong requirements in terms of coordination, communication, and flexibility.
Required profile
Qualifications and skills:
- University degree or equivalent in the field of administrative law, international law, environmental law, or other law areas related to the project topic;
- Very good knowledge of the international, European, and other regional regulations related to food safety, defence, and fraud;
- Fluency in English is mandatory (both written and spoken) - Ability to speak one of the official languages of one or more SEEE countries is an asset;
- Ability to monitor the progress of contract-related activities and reporting;
- Ability to communicate at all levels and facilitate exchanges among people of different cultures and backgrounds;
- Experience in developing guidelines is mandatory.
General professional experience:
- At least 10-year professional experience in the area of legislation;
- Proven track record of working with governmental and/or international and regional institutions.
Specific professional experience:
- Knowledge of European and International requirements (directives, regulations, guidelines, safety practices, and security regulations, etc.) covering the scope of food safety, defence, and fraud. Previous experience in a related International, European, or other regional regulation/control institution is an asset;
- Relevant experience in an SEEE region is an asset.
Additional information
All applications must include the following:
- CV ;
- Cover letter ;
- At least two professional references (including contact details);
- Proof of previous experience in similar assignments (e.g. list of projects or portfolio);
- Availability date.
Selection criteria for applications
The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :
- Candidate’s training/skills/experience
- Candidate’s training/diplomas related to the expert assignment
- Candidate’s skills linked with the expert mission
- Candidate’s experiences linked with the expert mission
- Candidate’s expected linguistic understanding
- Assessment of the candidate's skills in the sought-after domain
- Candidate's knowledges related to local context (country or region intervention)
Deadline for application : 2026/04/26 23:55
File(s) attached : ToR_ KE2_Legal and Law Enforcement.pdf
Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :
- democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
- peace, stability, and security ;
- climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
- health and human development ;
In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.