In a context of growing consumer's concerns regarding food quality, the European Commission (EC) has been acting for several years to ensure a "high level of protection of human health and consumer's interests in relation to food, [...] whilst ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market".

In 1997, following the BSE crisis, the European Commission established the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), a Directorate within the Directorate General for Health and Consumers, while developing a new food safety policy. Previously, inspections and controls of the European Commission were carried out under the Agriculture and Enterprises Directorates. Since 2002 the FVO has been located in Grange (Ireland), where 170 persons are now working in its premises, with a total of 90 inspectors. The audits/inspections carried out by FVO cover the entire production process ("from farm to fork") and therefore focus on food safety but also concerns animal health, animal welfare and plant health. Since its establishment in 1997, the capacity of the FVO to carry out audits/ inspections has increased and it now carries out an average of 250 audits/inspections each year.. The audits are carried out under the general provisions of European Union (EU) legislation and in particular, under the provisions of Articles 45 and 46 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004.

The majority of audits/inspections take place to the EU Member States, but also EFTA Countries, Candidate Countries and Third Countries. Approximately 40%  of the inspection/audits take place outside the EU.

The present project aims to support the Food and Veterinary Office by training a pool of national experts who would be available to assist the FVO inspection teams as technical experts when  carrying out audits and inspections as provided for in Articles 45 and 46 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004.

Participants invited to attend those training sessions have already been nominated by the Head of Service for the relevant sector such as Head of Agency, Chief Veterinary Officer, Chief Plant Health Officer of each EU Member States.

On the basis of those nominations, a list of invitees has been built by the Food and Veterinary Office for each topic addressed by the present training programme.

Each participant will be contacted by the Event Manager at least 7 weeks before the event, and will be asked to confirm his/her availability and send back a registration form completed.

Nominated participants who would not be contacted for the sessions in 2011 might be contacted for sessions organised next year.

The project will support travel in economy class by the most direct route, airport transfers. It will support as well catering expenses (breakfasts, lunches, dinners, coffee breaks) and accommodation in single occupancy at the hotel where the event takes place, for the whole duration of the seminar; access to fully equipped meeting facilities, documentation during the event.

No "perdiem" or "pocket money" will be distributed to participants in addition to what is indicated here above. All personal expenses such as local transports, mini-bar, laundry, room services, and extra drinks/meals will be charged to the participants by the hotel. The hotel will therefore require them to show a credit card to validate the check-in.

Lead firm: AETS
Partner: AESA 

Ms. Audrey Ferran or Ms. Maria Domenica Ciamillo 
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Tel: +353 (0) 469 061 831 (local management unit in Grange)

No technical partner is involved within this project.