Welcome!

The following pages provide details on the forthcoming training activities organised by our consortium under the initiative "Better training for Safer Food".

The Euro Consultants - JVL Consortium has been designated to support the European Commission in the organisation and implementation of training courses for staff involved in official controls in Member States and possible participants from third countries, with the aim of improving knowledge and implementation of EU legislation and developing best practices on:

• Veterinary and food safety control checks in Border Inspection Posts (2009-2010 and 2011-2012)
• Feed Law (2009-2010 and 2011-2012)
• Feed Rules and Feed Import Requirements for Third Countries (2012-2013)
• Animal Health of Bees and Exotic Zoo Animals (2010-2011)
• Quality Schemes: Organic Farming and Protected Designation Schemes (2011-2012)
• Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy: TSE (2011-2012)

On the topic of veterinary and food safety control checks in Border Inspection Posts, the Consortium will implement 9 three-day training courses. The training sessions will be split in 3 different training courses, depending on the kind of Border Inspection Post: four courses will be held on veterinary and food safety control checks in a seaport BIP, which will take place in Hamburg, Germany. Two training courses will be covering veterinary and food safety control checks in a road/rail BIP and will take place in Terespol - Kukuryki, Poland. The last three will be on veterinary and food safety control checks in an airport BIP and will be located in Heathrow, United Kingdom. The course will consist of theoretical and practical sessions covering different aspects of import /transit controls on products and live animals and a wide range of products both intended for human consumption and not for human consumption.

On the topic of Feed Law, the Consortium will organise and implement 10 five-days training courses, covering relevant aspects of feed hygiene, marketing and control. The courses will be held in four different locations -Denmark, Italy, Hungary and Romania- and will consist of theoretical and practical balanced sessions; when possible, two field visits will be organised per each course, in a manufacturing plant for compound feed and in feed additives company.

On the topic of Feed Rules and Feed Import Requirements for Third Countries, the Consortium will organise and implement 6 three-days training courses, covering a detailed overview and explanation of EU food safety standards in the relevant areas (feed rules and feed import requirements) having regard, in particular, to the recent developments of EU legislation. Each seminar includes working group sessions and case studies in order to generate debates and exchanges of points of view and experiences between participants.

On the topic of Animal Health of Bees and Exotic Zoo Animals, the Consortium will implement 4 three-day training courses in Animal Health of Bees which will take place in Prague, Czech Republic and 2 three-day training courses in Animal Health of Exotic Zoo Animals which will take place in Berlin, Germany. The course will consist on providing a common and unambiguous understanding of the current state of play of these specific animal diseases. Furthermore, the training will increase the efficacy of veterinary services in protecting the EU territory against the occurrence of animal diseases affecting bees and exotic animals including best practices as regards approval of zoos.

On the topic of Quality Schemes, the Consortium will organize and implement 18 three-day courses (2 half-days and 2 full days). Nine courses will be held on Organic Farming and nine courses will be held on Protected Designation Schemes. The courses will be held in France, Italy and Poland and will consist on disseminating best practices for control procedures, improving knowledge in this area of work and ensuring consistent and rigorous implementation of rules across the European Union.

On the topic of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), the Consortium will organize and implement 8 three-day training sessions, each including one-day's practical training on sampling (feed and TSE testing). The training will focus on the different risk reducing measures to combat and eradicate TSEs and in particular the implementation and proper control of those measures in relation to small ruminants. The courses will be held in three different locations – Belgium, United Kindgom, Cyprus.

 WHAT IS THE BTSF PROJECT

"Better Training for Safer Food" (BTSF) is a Commission initiative aimed at organising a Community (EU) training strategy in the areas of food law, feed law, animal health and animal welfare rules, as well as plant health rules.

While the Commission sets policy and general strategy for Better Training for Safer Food, the Executive Agency puts into practice this initiative by managing all phases of projects, from launch of calls for tender to evaluations of offers, award of contracts, and supervision of implementation.

Article 51 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules, provides the legal instrument for this initiative.

Training is designed for all staff of competent authorities of Member States involved in official control activities so as to keep them up-to-date with all aspects of Community law in the areas specified above and ensure that controls are carried out in a more uniform, objective and adequate manner in all Member States.

It is also essential that third countries and in particular developing countries are familiar with EU import requirements and, where it exists, with the possibility of EU support. For this purpose, training organised for Member States in the EU is open to participants from third countries and specific training courses are organised for third country participants on the spot.

For more information on training activities, please visit the following websites:
http://ec.europa.eu/eahc/food/index.html
http://ec.europa.eu/food/training_strategy/index_en.htm
 

HOW TO APPLY 

Better Training for Safer Food contact points have been designated to coordinate aspects such as participant selection.

If you are working in the Competent Authority of an EU Member State, Candidate or Associated Country, please contact your BTSF national contact point to express your interest for the course.

To know more about who is your national contact point, please click on the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/training_strategy/participants/ms_contact_points_en.htm

If you are working in the Competent Authority of a Third Country, please refer to us (all contacts details are availablehere).

In both cases, applications will be submitted to the European Commission.

Please remember that sending your training application form duly completed to your national contact point is in no case a proof of acceptance. Only selected candidates will be informed by e-mail and will receive an official confirmation of their participation.