Contingency planning in the area of animal health is all about preparing for threats and outbreaks of exotic disease, i.e. a disease not present in the country. The objective of contingency planning is to encourage livestock keepers, producers and manufacturers of food and feed, veterinarians in the private and public sector and relevant governmental institutions to think about major contingencies and possible response. The planning involves the development of contingency plans based on the four pillars: prevention, preparation, response and recovery and the conduct of simulation exercises.This report presents an overview of contingency planning related to animal diseases, preparedness for natural disasters, experiences gained from outbreaks of African swine fever in Baltic and Eastern European countries and contains the Memorandum of Understanding on a Nordic-Baltic Animal Health Emergency Reserve and on Nordic- Baltic Veterinary Contingency Planning Studies.