Training Programmes

Food Composition & Information

The general objective is to ensure a high level of consumer protection throughout the EU internal market and to maintain normal market conditions by the implementation of efficient, objective and adequate official controls.

The specific objective of the present programme is to spread knowledge and best practices in relation with general food labelling and claims as well as on specific categories of foods such as food supplements, foods with added vitamins and minerals and foods for specific groups of the population food composition and information, as per the requirements of the EU Food Law. The contract requests the provision of training courses addressing the latest developments, as well as in the implementation of controls.

Food Contact Materials

The training session will especially address key questions such as :

  • Control of the whole food contact materials chain and the compliance of the FCM manufacturing and importing establishments with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004;
  • Examination of written materials and in particular the specifications regarding declaration of compliance for food contact materials.
  • Assessment of the implementation of good manufacturing practice by FBOs, and decision taking

Food Improvement Agents

This programme, about EU approach for the evaluation, authorisation, monitoring and control of food additives, flavourings and enzymes, includes new practical-oriented features to facilitate understanding of the legislation and its enforcement. Two type of courses will be implemented:

Course A – featuring case studies to learn how to apply the harmonised regulation, theoretical and practical training regarding common aspects to every type of FIA, quantum satis and carry over principles, and specific modules addressing respectively food additives, flavourings and enzymes.

Microbiological Criteria and Control of Zoonoses

The objective of the MCZ course is to harmonise the approaches and to spread knowledge and best practice concerning:

  • Implementation of microbiological criteria (Course 1 : McA)
  • Control of zoonoses, with a particular focus on the control of Salmonella in poultry and pigs and Campylobacter along the poultry meat production chain (Course 2: Zoonoses).
  • Implementation of microbiological criteria (Course 3: Mc B) with the main focus on ready to eat food shelf-life assessment specific to Listeria M.

Movements of Dogs and Cats

This project intends to cover the controls on import, trade-in and non-commercial movements of dogs and cats from Third Countries and within EU.

In June 2013, a new set of EU legislation on non-commercial movements of pet animals and on animal health requirements on intra-Union trade and imports of dogs, cats and ferrets has been issued (Regulations EU 576/2013 and 577/2013; Directive 2013/31/EU). The aim of this project is to train a high number of competent authorities staff in order to further improve the understanding and the harmonisation of the implementation of EU legislation on the above-mentioned subjects.

World Sanitary and Phytosanitary

The project covers the organisation and implementation of training activities in non-EU countries to improve and strengthen the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) framework to allow better production, processing and trade of safe food, healthy animals and plants. The project includes the organisation of 14 four-days workshops and 385 working days of sustained training and technical assistance mission from October 2017 to September 2019:

Pesticide Application Equipment

The training session will especially address key questions such as :

  • Control of the whole food contact materials chain and the compliance of the FCM manufacturing and importing establishments with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004;
  • Examination of written materials and in particular the specifications regarding declaration of compliance for food contact materials.
  • Assessment of the implementation of good manufacturing practice by FBOs, and decision taking

Risk Assessment of Microorganisms or Biocides

The Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 provides rules for placing plant protection products in the market, based on a risk assessment, which encourages the development of less harmful substances. This Regulation includes chemical active substances and microorganisms, where, according to this Regulation, microorganisms are defined as “any microbiological entity, including lower fungi and viruses, cellular or non-cellular, capable of replication or of transferring genetic material”.

Food Fraud

The objective of the training is to develop cooperation activities with non-EU trade partners with a view to improving the effectiveness of official control systems in relation to fraudulent practices across the agri-food chain, including Internet sales, and their ability to detect frauds.
These Food Fraud trainings are expected to contribute:
– To spread knowledge about official control systems, import controls and investigation techniques
– To promote good practices, tools and procedures relating to investigation techniques helping to detect fraud in the agri-food sector
– To promote good practices, procedures and requirements relating to issuance of e-certificate
– To promote good practices on e-commerce surveillance for preventing threats

Official Control Regulations

The objective of this programme is to spread knowledge and best practices in relation to new role on the Official Control Regulation (OCR), to improve comprehension of this complex area of work and further harmonise the approaches and practices of the MS with a view to increasing the efficacy of the competent authorities/control bodies to verify compliance with the legal requirements in the field of statutory controls.