Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Better training for safer food {SEC(2006) 1163} {SEC(2006) 1164}
Date: 2006-09-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal health, animal nutrition, animal welfare, foodstuffs legislation, plant health legislation, veterinary legislation, vocational training

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 20.9.2006 
COM(2006) 519 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Better training for safer food 

{SEC(2006) 1163} 
{SEC(2006) 1164} 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Better training for safer food 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

SUMMARY 

Alongside the development of the internal market, a set of European rules covering 
food  law,  feed  law,  animal  health,  animal  welfare  and  plant  health  has  been 
progressively developed. These rules have contributed to the smooth operation of the 
internal  market  whilst  maintaining  a  high  level  of  protection.  They  follow 
international  developments  in  these  areas,  in  particular  in  the  World  Trade 
Organisation  (WTO),  Codex  Alimentairius,  the  World  Organisation  for  Animal 
Health (OIE) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).  

The  internal  market  objectives  for  these  areas  have  been  achieved.  Rather  than 
developing  new  major  legislative  initiatives,  the  Commission  believes  that  it  is 
necessary  to  ensure  that  existing  law  is  correctly  applied.  To  this  end,  training  of 
those who must verify the implementation of Community law is essential. 

European law provides for the Commission to organise training courses for the staff 
of the competent authorities in the Member States in charge of verifying compliance 
with EU food and feed law, animal health and animal welfare requirements, and with 
plant  health  requirements.  Such  training  is  also  open  to  participants  from  third 
countries and in particular from developing countries.  

A European dimension to training aims to establish a good level of uniformity of the 
controls carried out and of the decisions taken by the controlling authority pursuant 
to  such  controls,  thus  giving  more  certainty  to  food  businesses  through  equal 
treatment wherever controls are carried out. 

The  involvement  of  participants  from  third  countries  will  lead  to  a  better 
understanding of EU food standards and import procedures thus lowering the hurdle 
for third countries, and in particular developing countries, to place goods on the EU 
market.  It  will  also  lead  to  better  compliance  with  EU  food  standards  and  thus  to 
fewer and more simplified controls at import. 

In this Communication, the Commission gives an overview of possible options that 
may  be  used  for  organising  training  by  its  Health  and  Consumer  Protection 
Directorate-General; gives its opinion of the way forward; and suggests a method 
that aims to offer efficient training using, in the most economical way, the resources 
that are available.  

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
 
2. 

BACKGROUND 

Food  law,  feed  law,  animal  health  rules,  animal  welfare  requirements  and  plant 
health  requirements  are  almost  fully  Community  based  (see  overview  in  Annex  I). 
The  development  of  these  rules  has  enabled  the  creation  of  the  internal  market  for 
food,  feed,  live  animals  and  plants  within  the  Community  whilst  ensuring  a  high 
level of consumer protection and of protection of animals and plants. At international 
level,  Community  legislation  referred  to  above  allows  compliance  with  the 
international  obligations  laid  down  in  international  agreements  such  as  those 
developed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Codex Alimentairius, the World 
Organisation  for  Animal  Health  (OIE)  and  the  International  Plant  Protection 
Convention (IPPC). 

Along  with  the  adoption  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  882/2004  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  29  April  2004  on  official  controls  performed  to 
ensure  the  verification  of  compliance  with  feed  and  food  law,  animal  health  and 
animal welfare rules1, the verification of compliance with these requirements is also 
based  on  Community  law.  That  Regulation  establishes  an  integrated  and  global 
approach  towards  verification  by  the  competent  authorities  of  compliance  with  the 
requirements referred to above. 

Such  a  strong  Community  oriented  integrated  and  global  approach  requires  a  high 
level  of  competence  and  expertise  of  the  controlling  authorities,  and  imposes  high 
standards  on  control  officials  in  the  Member  States  so  as  to  ensure  that  official 
controls are efficient, objective and adequate. Staff of controlling authorities need to 
have a broad knowledge of different hazards (chemical, biological and physical) that 
can occur along the feed and food chain. They must also understand the mechanisms 
of the market in which food and its ingredients can be obtained from many different 
sources.  At  the  same  time,  they  need  to  be  informed  about  very  specific  problems 
that  are  inherent  to  specific  production,  processing,  conservation  and  distribution 
methods.  They  must  be  able  to  identify  non-compliance  with  feed  and  food  safety 
requirements,  with  animal  health  and  animal  welfare  requirements,  and  with  plant 
health requirements. They must also be able to detect fraudulent practices. Control of 
feed  and  food  production  and  marketing,  and  of  animal  and  plant  production  and 
trade, therefore requires a multidisciplinary approach. 

Third  countries  must,  when  exporting  food,  feed,  live  animals  and  plants  to  the 
Community, provide guarantees as to the respect of Community rules with regard to 
food safety, feed safety, animal health, plant health rules and where appropriate with 
animal welfare rules. The Community’s import regime for live animals and food and 
feed of animal origin is based upon guarantees given by the competent authorities in 
the  exporting  third  countries.  They  must  certify  that  consignments  destined  for 
export  to  the  EU  comply  with  the  EU  requirements  so  as  to  ensure  that  the 
appropriate  levels  of  protection  with  regard  to  animal  health  and  public  health 
requirements  are  met.  In  other  cases,  and  in  particular  for  feed  and  food  of  plant 
origin,  the  Community  relies  upon  guarantees  given  by  the  importer  of  the  goods, 
who  in  turn  must  have  obtained  guarantees  at  the  place  of  production  that  EU 

1 

OJ L 165, 30.4.2004 (see corrigenda in OJ L 191, 28.5.2004, p. 1). 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
                                                 
requirements are met. It is essential therefore that all those involved in importing live 
animals, feed, food or plants are familiar with EU import requirements. 

In the above context, control staff of the competent authorities and/or control bodies 
in  the  Member  States  and  in  third  countries  will  need  training  on  and  regular 
updating of their knowledge of Community rules with regard to food law, feed law, 
animal health, animal welfare and plant health requirements, and on the techniques to 
verify compliance therewith. This need has been recognised in Regulation (EC) No 
882/2004:  its  Article  6  imposes  on  the  competent  authorities  in  the  Member  States 
the  obligation  to  ensure  that  staff  performing  official  controls  receive  appropriate 
training; and its Article 51 provides the legal instrument to organise such training at 
Community level as a complement to national training. 

3. 

THE NEED FOR BETTER TRAINING 

3.1. 

Better training for safer food and for healthier animals and plants 

The ability to detect fraud and non-compliance are crucial in the process of ensuring 
that  the  level  of  protection  that  is  established  in  food  law,  feed  law,  animal  health 
rules,  animal  welfare  rules  and  plant  health  requirements  is  maintained.  Increasing 
abilities to detect fraud and non-compliance will lead therefore to a better protection 
of  human  health,  animal  health,  animal  welfare  and  plant  health.  Training  should 
thus  not  only  focus  on  becoming  familiar  with  legal  requirements,  but  also  on 
acquiring skills with regard to control techniques that must allow, in an efficient way, 
detection of fraudulent practices and non-compliance that may have adverse effects 
on our level of protection. 

3.2. 

Impact on competitiveness, markets and trade  

A  European  dimension  to  training  plays  an  important  role  in  spreading  knowledge 
and  awareness  of  Community  legislation  and  in  promoting  harmonisation  and 
uniformity  of  control  activities  and  procedures  across  the  EU.  All  food  businesses 
should benefit from this harmonisation which contributes to creating a level playing 
field  by  ensuring  a  fair  level  of  uniformity  of  the  controls  carried  out  and  of  the 
decisions  taken  by  the  controlling  authority  pursuant  to  such  controls.  This  is 
expected  to  offer  greater  certainty  to  food  businesses  as  regards  equal  treatment 
wherever controls are carried out and thus facilitates fair trade. 

3.3. 

Impact on third countries and international relations 

Training is important to promote uniform procedures for the control of animals, food 
and  feed  imported  from  third  countries.  It  is  therefore  essential  to  guarantee  that 
imports respect Community law and that EU businesses are in a parallel competitive 
position in comparison with their non-EU counterparts. 

Participation  of  third  countries  in  Community  training  programmes  will  play  an 
important  role  in  promoting  Community  standards  at  international  level,  thus 
enhancing international trade of safe food, and providing EU businesses with easier 
access to safe goods from third countries. 

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
Training is a powerful instrument to assist developing countries to meet Community 
requirements  and  thus  gain  access  for  their  products  to  the  EU  market.  Apart  from 
the positive economic effect on trade, this action would also have a political impact, 
both  in  its  support  of  the  commitments  made  by  the  EU  at  international  level  (e.g. 
under  the  WTO  SPS  Agreement  in  terms  of  technical  assistance)  and  in  enhancing 
the EU’s relationship with supplying countries. 

Training of representatives from developing countries may be expected to raise food 
standards within these countries. Apart from a better competitive position and easier 
access to the EU market, it may possibly contribute to a better food security and food 
safety for the consumers in these countries. 

3.4. 

Impact on public authorities 

Although much of the responsibility for information and training of staff performing 
official controls rests with the national competent authorities (Article 6 of Regulation 
(EC)  No  882/2004),  the  development  of  a  Community  training  strategy  aims  to 
achieve more uniformity of control procedures, control methods and control results. 
As  a  result  of  greater  uniformity,  official  controls  should  gain  in  terms  of  both 
efficiency and objectivity. 

The implementation of a Community training strategy should constitute an effective 
instrument to optimise resources and determine scale economies to the advantage of 
both Community and national public authorities. 

3.5. 

Impact on legislation 

Better  training  will  make  control  staff  more  familiar  with  EU  rules  and  lead  to  a 
better understanding of the background and objectives of, and the reasons for, these 
rules. Training is expected therefore to reduce the need for new legislative initiatives, 
be  it  in  the  form  of  legally  binding  texts  or  as  explanatory  notes  and  interpretative 
documents.  Training  may  thus  contribute  to  achieve  the  general  objective  of  the 
Commission to have less but better legislation. 

4. 

TRAINING IN THE MEMBER STATES 

Most Member States have a tradition of organising training courses for their control 
staff. With the adoption of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, such training has become 
mandatory for all Member States. 

The  training  programmes  are  usually  developed  and  organised  by  the  competent 
authorities  often  assisted  by  academic  staff.  Training  is  provided  for  in  different 
ways  and  mainly:  directly  by  the  competent  authorities  (either  at  central  and/or  at 
regional/local level), by a variety of training providers such as academic institutions, 
laboratories,  professional  bodies,  private  bodies,  by  a  national  agency,  or  a 
combination of the above. 

Training  includes  classroom  training,  field  based  training  and  distance  learning. 
Training material includes CD-ROMs, DVDs, videos etc. 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
Tutors may include experts from the departments of the competent authority, as well 
as  experts  from  the  academic  world,  laboratories,  professional  organisations, 
international organisations, private bodies etc. 

Some Member States have one or more training centres with highly qualified training 
staff.  These  centres  are  often  specialised  in  a  particular  area  (e.g.  animal  welfare, 
veterinary  controls)  with  professional  tutors,  have  access  to  fully  equipped 
infrastructures and have learning material developed for training purposes.  

The  capacity  for  training  in  the  Member  States  must  meet  high  demands.  It  is 
estimated that the total number of control staff in the EU is close to 50 000 persons. 
Training covers in certain cases 100% of the staff members on an annual basis for a 
particular  subject.  The  average  duration  of  the  training  per  staff  member  varies 
between 30 hours and 80 hours per year. The number of tutors involved in training 
varies  from  one  per  four  to  one  per  twenty  trainees2.  From  the  information 
available,  it  seems  that  the  degree  to  which  training  is  developed  varies 
importantly across the EU. In view of the massive task to be carried out, Member 
States  expressed  their  satisfaction  that  the  Commission  will  cover  a  number  of 
training needs, enabling them to review national training priorities. 

5. 

TRAINING AND THIRD COUNTRIES/DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 

The  Commission  and  the  Member  States  have  an  ever  growing  responsibility  to 
ensure that Community requirements are met in relation to all imports of food, feed, 
animals,  plants  and  their  products  from  third  countries.  The  EU  now  imports  such 
goods  from  over  200 countries  around  the  world.  These  countries  range  from  the 
highly developed to the poorest countries in the world.  

Experience  has  shown  that  food  consignments  from  third  countries  do  not  always 
comply  with  EU  Food  Law.  The  Rapid  Alert  System  for  Food  and  Feed,  based  on 
Article 50 of Regulation (EC) No 178/20023, demonstrates that in 2005, 46% of all 
notifications follow from controls on imported food at Border Inspection Posts. This 
resulted in 1 453 consignments being rejected for import. In addition, another 5% of 
consignments  from  third  countries  that  were  already  released  were  the  subject  of  a 
notification.  

Meeting  EU  standards  is  a  condition  for  importing  food,  feed,  animals  and  plants 
from  third  countries.  The  respect  of  these  standards  is  necessary  to  prevent  the 
introduction into the EC of diseases of animals and plants, guarantee a high level of 
food safety and a supply of safe feed for animals. It is essential that third countries 
are informed about these standards so as to allow better compliance and subsequently 
a reduction of the number of consignments rejected at the EU borders. 

2 
3 

Data based on figures received by the Commission from Member States. 
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying 
down  the  general  principles  and  requirements  of  food  law,  establishing  the  European  Food  Safety 
Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1), as amended 
by Regulation (EC) No 1642/2003 (OJ L 245, 29.9.2003, p. 4). 

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Developing  countries  may  encounter  difficulties  with  the  organisation  of  export 
controls  of  products  and  consequently  in  providing  the  conformity/equivalency  of 
their  export  products  to  the  standards  set  by  the  EU.  Food  trade  is  extremely 
important  for  most  of  these  countries,  where  the  level  of  subsistence  and  social-
economic development is directly linked with the possibility of placing their goods 
on the global market. 

The EU is very sensitive to these aspects and, whilst not intending to compromise on 
the  level  of  health  protection  and  food  safety,  pays  particular  attention  in  order  to 
ensure  that  products  from  third  countries,  and  in  particular  from  developing 
countries, are not excluded from the EU market. The EU has therefore developed a 
number  of  instruments  that  aim  to  assist  third  countries  to  assimilate  existing 
European standards and requirements on food and feed safety, animal health, animal 
welfare  and  plant  health.  Regulation  (EC)  No  882/2004  includes  provisions  for 
technical  assistance,  joint  projects,  the  development  of  guidelines  and  training 
programmes to assist third countries in meeting the EU standards and requirements 
and in organising official controls on products exported to the EU.  

Training  for  third  countries  is  also  fully  in  line  with  the  European  Neighbourhood 
Policy  (ENP).  ENP  is  currently  a  key  element  of  EU’s  external  policy.  This  ENP 
priority can be reflected in the training initiative. 

The development of a Community training programme needs to put emphasis on the 
international dimension of food and feed safety standards, and on the trade in 
live animals and plants. In this perspective, training activities will be organised for 
participants  from  third  countries  with  a  view  to  promoting  safe  trade  in  animals, 
plants,  food  and  feed  thus  permitting  the  Commission  to  honour  political 
commitments taken at international level, in particular vis-à-vis developing countries 
further preparing candidate and potential candidate countries and taking into account 
other policies such as the ENP. 

6. 

COMMUNITY TRAINING INITIATIVES IN THE PAST AND AT PRESENT 

The  Commission  has  organised  or  continues  to  organise  a  number  of  training 
activities in the areas of concern. These include: 

6.1. 

Training on the basis of Council Decision 90/424/EEC 

The exchange of staff members of the controlling authorities in the Member States is 
a  training  method  that  has  been  applied  in  the  past  on  the  basis  of  Article  19  of 
Decision  90/424/EEC  on  expenditure  in  the  veterinary  field4.  Many  of  these 
exchanges  consisted  of  an  extended  stay  of  control  staff  of  a  Member  State  at  a 
Border Inspection Post of another Member State. The experience of organising such 
exchange  was  positive.  It  has  allowed  many  national  control  officers  to  become 
better  acquainted  with  the  organisation  of  import  checks  on  products  of  animal 
origin. 

4 

Council  Decision  90/424/EEC  of  26  June  1990  on  expenditure  in  the  veterinary  field  (OJ  L  224, 
18.8.1990,  p.  19),  as  last  amended  by  Decision  2006/53/EC  of  23  January  2006  (OJ  L  29,  2.2.2006, 
p. 37). 

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Although it is not excluded that future training activities may include the exchange of 
staff, it must be noted that such a training method only has a European added value 
when  included  in  a  training  module  that  is  based  on  training  material  that  serves  a 
common goal and that has been developed especially for the purpose of training with 
regard to a particular subject, such as import procedures. 

Also  on  the  basis  of  Decision  90/424/EEC,  one  week  training  courses  on  various 
subjects (e.g. meat hygiene, fishery products etc) have been organised in institutes in 
the  Member  States  (e.g.  Lyon,  Berlin,  London,  Bremen)  attended  by  experts  of 
different Member States. These courses concentrated mainly on different aspects of 
veterinary legislation and have enabled participants to better understand Community 
rules in the area concerned. 

6.2. 

Ad-hoc training projects 

Ad  hoc  training  is  being  delivered  for  training  projects  organised  in  2006.  For  that 
purpose, the Commission launched a number of calls for tender (see Annex II). 

Such  projects  address  very  specific  issues  with  training  given  by  highly  qualified 
bodies.  Some  of  these  activities  are  expressly  addressed  to  developing  countries 
covering nations worldwide. 

At the time of the adoption of this Communication, it is too early to give a detailed 
report  on  the  quality  of  performance  in  this  area.  In  general,  the  response  from 
participants  was  very  positive  and  demonstrates  that  there  is  an  important  need  to 
have training in place.  

6.3. 

Training by the Community Reference Laboratories 

Under  EU  law  on  food,  feed,  animal  health  and  animal  welfare,  39  Community 
Reference  Laboratories  (CRLs)  have  been  established.  Each  of  these  CRLs 
constitutes a network with National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) in the Member 
States.  The  CRLs  thus  provide  the  NRLs  with  information  and  instructions  on 
analytical  and  diagnostic  methods,  make  practical  arrangements  to  apply  new 
methods, assist in the diagnosis of disease outbreaks etc. Their task is also to conduct 
initial  and  further  training  courses  for  the  benefit  of  staff  from  national  reference 
laboratories  and  experts  from  developing  countries.  In  this  context,  the  CRLs 
organise  at  least  one  workshop  every  year.  These  workshops  seek  to  ensure  that 
analytical and diagnostic methods are carried out with the required expertise and in a 
uniform way thus guaranteeing reliable results. 

It  is  worthwhile  to  build  on  the  excellent  experience  gained  in  this  field  and  to 
explore possibilities for future collaboration between the CRLs and the new training 
initiative,  with  particular  emphasis  on  the  participation  of  laboratory  staff  from 
developing countries. 

6.4. 

Training by other departments of the Commission 

Other  Directorate  Generals  of  the  Commission  organise  training  with  a  view  of 
preparing candidate Member States to their accession to the EU (Enlargement DG), 
to  assist  developing  countries  in  applying  EU  Sanitary  and  Phytosanitary  measures 
(Trade DG), or through the EC’s external assistance programmes (EuropeAid). The 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
JRC  gives  training  courses  on  diverse  food  and  feed  safety  and  quality  issues.  In 
particular,  on  specific  aspects  of  the  implementation  of  the  ISO/IEC  17025  quality 
standard,  as  required  for  official  food  and  feed  control  laboratories.  These  courses 
include  also  hands-on  training  and  demonstration  of  analytical  methods  in  the  JRC 
laboratories. Special emphasis has been placed in training experts from New Member 
States, Acceding, Candidate and Western Balkan Countries. These projects do not in 
general overlap or compete with the Health and Consumer protection DG initiatives. 
Where there might be a risk of interference, matters are discussed and coordinated in 
a Commission interservice steering group created for that purpose. 

7. 

FUTURE COMMUNITY TRAINING 

7.1. 

The legal background 

Article  51  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  882/2004  allows  the  Commission  to  organise 
training courses for the staff of the competent authorities of Member States and for 
participants from third countries. Emphasis is placed on participants from developing 
countries.  The  areas  covered  by  such  training  are  food  law  and  feed  law,  animal 
health and animal welfare requirements. 

Plant  health  is  only  partly  covered  by  the  legal  basis  in  Regulation  (EC)  No 
882/2004. However, Article 2(1)(i) of Directive 2000/29/EC5 offers a legal basis for 
training  in  the  plant  health  sector  so  that  the  training  activities  organised  by  the 
Commision can fully take into account that sector. 

7.2. 

Participation of non-governmental trainees 

From a general point of view, it can be expected that training of business operators 
will lead to increased efficiency of skilled workers, better performance generated by 
increasing ability programmes, and a better implementation of EU standards and thus 
to a higher level of protection. 

Such  participation  would  allow  food  businesses  to  adapt  their  management 
procedures for ensuring compliance efficiently. It may lead to advantages in that the 
risk of  withdrawing products  from  the market could be reduced. Better  compliance 
might also reduce the need for official controls and possibly the costs linked to such 
controls. 

However, the legal basis only provides for training to be organised and funded by the 
Community  budget  for  staff  of 
thus  excluding 
participation of trainees from food businesses. Participation of such trainees shall not 
result  in  any  expenditure  for  the  EU  budget.  Member  States  can,  in  any  event, 
encourage  their  national  training  agencies  to  develop  appropriate  training  for  such 
trainees. 

the  competent  authorities, 

5 

Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the 
Community  of  organisms  harmful  to  plants  or  plant  products  and  against  the  spread  within  the 
Community (OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1). 

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
                                                 
7.3. 

Volume of Community training 

The training activities that are organised in 2006 concern nearly 1 500 participants. 
Bearing in mind that the activities for 2006 are considered as a starting-up phase, it 
should be possible to increase the number of participants gradually, so as to reach an 
average of 6 000 participants. 

The Commission believes that it is important that in first instance those responsible 
for training in the Member States are trained so as to convey a correct message to the 
trainees  in  the  Member  States.  Training  of  these  persons  should  be  continuous  as 
Community  law  evolves.  Additionally,  Community  training  should  address  control 
staff working on a daily basis with several aspects of Community law, in accordance 
with  a  selection  to  be  made  by  the  Member  States,  and  participants  from  third 
countries. 

The length of the training sessions varies between two and ten days. In view of the 
envisaged number of participants, this amounts to a considerable training volume of 
around 960 training days per year, requiring important resources.  

7.4. 

The management of Community training 

Whatever training system is chosen, there must be continuous management allowing 
to  lay  down  priorities  and  identify  training  projects,  establish  a  training 
programme  (annual  or  multi-annual),  verify  the  quality  of  training,  verify  the 
quality of the training material, and to establish procedures necessary for the fluent 
functioning of a training system. 

These  activities  belong  to  the  core  activities  of  the  Commission.  For  the  daily 
management  of  a  Community  training  system  it  is  necessary  that  the  Commission 
services  be  assisted  by  other  actors  in  order  to  accomplish  the  above  tasks.  These 
include  in  first  instance  the  Member  States,  but  possibly  also  non-governmental 
organisations.  The  Commission  has  the  intention  to  consult  these  stakeholders  on 
training matters.  

7.5. 

Criteria for a future Community training system 

Different  options  for  organising  a  European  training  programme  are  available.  The 
option  of  choice  should  be  determined  by  taking  into  account  different  parameters, 
and in particular:  

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

EU training should be complementary: training organised at Community level 
should not compete with training organised by the Member States, but should 
be complementary to it by adding a European dimension to training.  

Priority  based:  in  view  of  the  wide  scope  to  be  covered  by  training,  it  is 
necessary to set clear priorities. It is neither possible nor necessary to deliver 
training on all issues covered by Community feed and food law, animal health 
and animal welfare requirements, and plant health rules. The European training 
programme  should  emphasise  the  European  dimension  of  official  controls, 
whilst Member States are better placed to organise training on control matters 
that fall within their legal national framework. 

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

Flexibility: it must be possible to react quickly on emergencies so as to ensure 
that  a  possible  scare  is  dealt  with  in  an  identical  way  by  all  Member  States 
involved. This will require the possibility of quickly adapting the system and of 
having easy access to available expertise. 

Excellence:  any  system  should  be  of  the  highest  possible  standard.  This  will 
require  the  use  of  high  quality  learning  material  and  teaching  by  highly 
qualified tutors. 

Transparency:  there  should  be  open  and  clear  communication  towards  all 
stakeholders within the Community and in third countries on the organisation 
of training courses and the possibilities for participation.  

A  global  and  comprehensive  approach:  a  training  initiative  must  cover  the 
very wide areas of food law, feed law, animal health rules, animal welfare rules 
and  plant  health  requirements.  This  requires  a  global  approach  with  input  of 
specialist expertise in these areas. 

Continuity:  training  should  be  delivered  over  an  extended  period  by  a  well 
established team that is familiar with EU policy in the areas of concern, so as to 
ensure a uniform high quality of training. 

The  Commission  must  not  relinquish  controls  over  training: 
the 
Commission  must  in  particular  be  able  to  steer  the  training  programme,  to 
verify  the  quality  of  the  training  activities  and  the  learning  material,  and  be 
able to impose corrective action when needed. 

7.6. 

Cooperation with national training bodies  

It  would  not  be  good  management  to  ignore  the  often  excellent  training  efforts, 
training facilities and training tools that are established in certain Member States. It 
would therefore be good practice to make use of their experience and existence for 
Community purposes.  

National  bodies  could  play  a  leading  role  in  the  EU  with  regard  to  disseminating 
European  policy  on  issues  related  to  food  and  feed  safety,  animal  health,  animal 
welfare  and  plant  health.  They  could  become  a  reference  centre  for  assisting  with 
training  activities  in  the  other  Member  States  in  first  instance  by  “training  the 
trainers”, but also by organising regular training sessions for staff of the controlling 
authorities in the Member States and from third countries. 

The Commission believes that the system of cooperation with national bodies entails 
a  number  of  advantages  that  make  it  a  valuable  system  for  managing  training 
activities: 

• 

• 

It  would  be  flexible.  It  would  allow  assigning  special  tasks  to  a  particular 
agency  in  a  relatively  short  period,  and  the  work  programme  of  the  bodies 
could be adapted in accordance with the priorities set be the Commission. 

It would make optimal use of the resources available in the Commission and in 
the Member States. 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
• 

• 

It  would  benefit  from  of  the  experience  and  availability  of  infrastructures 
already available in the Member States. 

It  would  strengthen  the  visibility  of  Europe’s  vital  role  in  this  policy  area 
which is of crucial importance to citizens. 

The  Commission  will  further  examine  how  this  cooperation  can  be  organised  in 
practice. 

8. 

POSSIBLE  OPTIONS  FOR  THE  ORGANISATION  OF  TRAINING  ACTIVITIES  BY  THE 
HEALTH AND CONSUMER PROTECTION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL 

8.1. 

Contracts for the organisation of training 

The  issuing  of  one  or  more  contracts  by  the  Commission  establishing  the  terms  of 
reference for the organisation of the different elements of training, (e.g. the delivery 
of training, the establishment of learning material, the programme management, the 
logistic aspects, the development of an e-learning programme) can be considered as a 
valuable  option  for  the  organisation  of  Community  training.  Such  a  method  is 
flexible:  it  allows  describing  the  characteristics  of  the  training  needs  in  accordance 
with  the  priorities  set  by  the  Commission.  Contracts  can  also  cover  a  given  period 
during  which  it  can  be  expected  that  a  given  training  project  can  be  finalised. 
Depending on the type of contract, it is also possible to handle more urgent needs for 
the delivery of a particular training project. 

Since contracts can be spread over a number of years, the risk of lack of continuity at 
the  end  of  a  contract  can  be  reduced,  but  not  eliminated.  The  experience  that  has 
been build over a number of years may be lost at the end of a contract. 

8.2. 

A specialised Commission service 

The  possibility  to  create  a  training  centre  with  permanent  facilities,  infrastructures 
and  staff  could  be  envisaged  as  a  specialised  service  of  the  Commission.  The 
practical  consequences  for  the  Commission  would  be  important:  fully  equipped 
infrastructures, need for sufficient staff to be permanently available including tutors, 
staff  for  the  daily  management,  the  management  of  the  training  programme,  the 
development of training materials, the invitation of trainees, logistical arrangements 
etc.  Even  if  certain  of  these  tasks  can  be  outsourced,  such  a  system  would  require 
very  important  resources,  both  human  and  financial  and  it  is  unlikely  that  such 
resources can be made available. The advantage is that the European message can be 
disseminated by a system that is close to policy development. 

8.3. 

An executive agency  

Regulation  (EC)  No  58/2003  of  19  December  2002  laying  down  the  statute  of 
executive  agencies  to  be  entrusted  with  certain  tasks  in  the  management  of 
Community programmes6 empowers the Commission to set up an executive agency 
and to entrust it with certain management tasks relating to a Community programme. 

6 

OJ L 11, 16.1.2003, p. 1. 

EN 

12 

   EN 

 
                                                 
This would allow the Commission to focus on its core activities and functions which 
cannot  be  outsourced,  without  relinquishing  control  over,  or  ultimate  responsibility 
for, activities managed by such an executive agency. 

The management of such a programme includes technical tasks which do not entail 
political  decision-making  and  require  a  high  level  of  technical  and  financial 
expertise.  With  regard  to  training,  these  tasks  could  include  the  management  of 
procedures  with  regard  to  the  execution  of  a  training  programme.  Entrusting  such 
tasks to an executive agency could be a way of achieving training in an efficient way. 
Such an agency would also give a high profile and visibility of the training project. 

However,  prior to  finalise reflections on such  option, a number  of procedural steps 
have to be undertaken. One of these is a cost-benefit analysis to be carried out taking 
into  account  the  factors  referred  to  in  Article  3  of  Regulation  (EC)  No 58/2003.  In 
addition, before  the Commission can create a new Executive Agency or extend the 
remits  of  an  existing  one,  the  Regulatory  Committee  of  Executive  Agencies  has  to 
give  a  positive  opinion  and  the  European  Parliament  needs  to  be  involved  on  the 
basis  of  working  arrangements  agreed  between  the  Commission  and  the  budgetary 
authority. 

An interesting idea needing further reflection is that the training activities could be 
merged  with  the  activities  of  the  “Executive  Agency  for  the  Public  Health 
Programme”  created  by  Commission  Decision  2004/858/EC7.  The  tasks  of  that 
Agency would thus be extended with a new package of responsibilities. It would then 
join  different  programmes  managed  by  the  Health  and  Consumer  Protection 
Directorate-General  into  a  single  structure.  The  advantage  of  such  an  approach 
would  be  that the existing  overhead structures necessary for the management  of an 
agency  are  already  in  place,  thus  allowing  the  implementation  of  the  training 
programme  without  there  being  a  need  to  create  a  new  organisational  structure 
(Steering  Committee  and  Director).  Merging  the  different  programmes  would  also 
increase the efficiency of the existing Agency. 

The  European  Food  Safety  Authority  (EFSA)  is  not  an  option  for  organising  these 
training  activities.  The  EFSA  has  as  specific  task  to  perform  risk  assessment. 
Organising training, which is more linked to risk management, would be in conflict 
with  its  current  mandate.  Moreover  the  EFSA  is  a  regulatory  agency  to  which  the 
reflections under point 8.4 apply. 

8.4. 

A regulatory agency 

A European training body assuming all or part of the tasks related to the organisation 
and delivery of training could also be seen as an organisation independent from the 
Commission, working in accordance with its founding Regulation to be adopted by 
the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament,  in  the  form  of  a  regulatory  agency.  Its 
tasks could include the delivery of training, the training and recruitment of tutors, the 
development  of  training  material,  communication  and  providing  publicity  so  as  to 

7 

Commission  Decision  2004/858/EC  of  15  December  2004  setting  up  and  executive  agency,  the 
‘Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme’ for the management of Community action in the 
field of public health-pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 (OJ L 369, 16.12.2004, p. 73). 

EN 

13 

   EN 

 
                                                 
attract  in  a  most  efficient  way  the  target  groups  in  the  Member  States  and  in  third 
countries, and networking with national agencies. 

As  for  an  executive  agency,  a  regulatory  agency  could  give  a  higher  profile  to 
the 
Community 
administrative  burdens  for  the  Commission  since  it  would  recruit  its  own  staff  and 
manage its own budget. 

it.  It  would  reduce 

training  with 

training  by 

identifying 

However, by its nature, a regulatory agency is a body distinct from the Community 
Institutions  that  has  its  own  legal  personality  and  works  independently  from  the 
Commission.  There  would  therefore  be  a  risk  of  lack  of  coordination  with  the 
Commission services. From that point of view, the option to create a new agency or 
to extend the remit of an existing one would not be the most appropriate format for 
providing EU training. 

9. 

FURTHER STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY THE COMMISSION 

The Commission will further reflect on the possibility of a training programme to be 
executed  by  an  executive  agency  (option  8.3).  However,  there  will  be  a  careful 
examination of the legal feasibility under the provisions of the legal framework and 
of  practical  arrangements  in  order  to  make  possible  the  use  of  financial  resources 
from  the  Community  budget  prior  to  such  a  decision.  That  solution  is  believed  to 
offer  the  necessary  guarantees  that  the  main  objectives  of  the  Commission  will  be 
achieved and in particular that the core activities remain with the Commission (see 
Regulation  (EC)  No  58/2003).  The  Commission  will  therefore  contract  as  soon  as 
possible the cost-benefit analysis referred to above. 

10. 

IMPACT ASSESSMENT 

The impact of the organisation of training programmes on different aspects of socio-
economic 
this 
communication. It includes a cost analysis based on the experience gained during the 
start-up phase of a number of training activities organised in 2006.  

life  has  been  assessed  and  published  simultaneously  with 

On that basis, the total cost of an annual training programme can be estimated, taking 
into  account  certain  parameters  such  as  the  number  of  participants  per  year,  the 
average  duration  of  a  course,  the  number  of  participants  per  course  and  the 
management  option  of  choice,  as  being  included  within  a  range  of  €  13.2M  to 
€ 19.8M  during  2007-2011;  this  activity  is  foreseen  to  be  financed  under  the 
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) budget.  

A higher cost at the onset of the training activities is expected. This is explained by 
the number of requests for participation that is likely to be high during that period, in 
particular  from  developing  countries,  whereby  the  number  of  trainees  may  vary 
between 6 000 and 9 000. After an initial two years, it is envisaged that there would 
be a reduction in the number of requests for participation. 

EN 

14 

   EN 

 
11. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The  Commission  will  endeavour  to  have  a  permanent  structure  available  that  must 
allow  the  training  activities  in  the  areas  of  food  law,  feed  law,  animal  health  and 
animal welfare to be organised efficiently and effectively. 

In  organising  these  activities  the  Commission  will  further  examine  the  different 
options for the management of a training programme. Whatever the outcome of these 
reflections will be, a number of procedural steps will need to be taken. These include 
the  ordering  of  a  cost-benefit  analysis  in  the  case  of  an  executive  agency,  and  the 
adoption  of  implementing  rules  for  the  organisation  of  training  courses  as  required 
under Article 51(3) of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. These implementing rules may 
include  management  issues  such  as  procedures  to  be  followed  for  establishing  an 
annual training programme, the consultation of stakeholders, and possibly the contact 
with a training body. 

It  must  be  taken  into  account  the  certain  options,  such  as  a  regulatory  agency  or  a 
specialised  Commission  service  are  considered  not  to  offer  the  best  alternative 
solutions  for  efficient  training.  In  the  case  of  a  regulatory  agency,  the  Commission 
would  risk  relinquishing  control  over  its  training  programme,  and  both  options  are 
likely to require important resources. 

EN 

15 

   EN 

 
ANNEX I: Overview of Community measures 

The requirements of food law, feed law, animal health rules, animal welfare requirements and 
plant  health  have  been  established  gradually  over  a  period  covering  almost  40  years.  The 
situation at present can be summarised as follows: 

Food and feed law 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The general food law 

Labelling and nutrition 

Biotechnology 

Chemical safety of food 

Biological safety of food 

Animal nutrition 

Food and feed controls 

See http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/index_en.htm  

Animal health rules 

• 

Preventive health measures on intra-community trade and imports of:  

• 

• 

• 

live animals  

semen, ova and embryos  

animal products  

• 

Community legislation on animal diseases:  

• 

• 

• 

• 

new Animal Health Strategy to improve the prevention and control of animal 
disease in the EU  

control measures, to be taken as soon as the presence of a disease is suspected  

eradication  and  monitoring  programmes,  for  the  diseases  that  are  already 
within the Community  

EU financial contribution 

• 

Other activities: identification measures to guarantee the traceability of the animals 

See http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/index_en.htm  

EN 

16 

   EN 

 
Animal welfare rules 

• 

• 

• 

The protection of animals on the farm and in particular laying hens, calves and pigs  

The protection of animals during transport  

The protection of animals at time of slaughter or killing  

See http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/index_en.htm  

Plant health rules 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Plant protection 

Harmful organisms 

Property rights 

Genetic resources 

Seeds and plant propagating material 

GM plants and seeds 

See http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/plant/index_en.htm 

EN 

17 

   EN 

 
ANNEX II: Training for developing countries in 2006 

Following courses were developed in 2006: 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

HACCP implementation and assessment 

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza 

European Standards for the importation of fruit and vegetables, and fishery products 

Import control procedures at border inspection posts 

Standards for animal by-products 

Animal welfare at the time of slaughter of meat producing animals 

Of those, the following were addressed to developing countries selected on the basis of their 
trade records or their potential trade with the EU: 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

Imports  of  fruit  and  vegetables:  El  Salvador,  30  May-1  June  2006,  Malaysia, 
scheduled for September 2006, Tanzania, scheduled for October 2006 

Fishery products: Indonesia, 25-27 April 2006, Colombia 20-22 June 2006, Senegal, 
scheduled for October 2006 

With representatives from: 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

(cid:121) 

Africa  (including  among  other  countries:  Tanzania,  Kenya,  Uganda,  Malawi, 
Ethiopia,  Eritrea,  Botswana,  Namibia,  Zimbabwe  Zambia,  Lesotho,  Swaziland, 
Southafrica,  Senegal,  Mauritania,  Guinea  Conakry,  Ivory  Coast,  Cameroon,  Benin, 
Togo, Gambia, Ghana). 

Asia  (including  among  other  countries:  Malaysia,  Philippines,  Indonesia,  Laos, 
Thailand,  Vietnam,  Cambodia,  Myanmar,  China,  Taiwan,  Singapore,  South  Korea, 
Papua New Guinea, Maldives, Bangladesh). 

Latin  America  (including  among  other  countries:  El  Salvador,  Belize,  Bolivia, 
Dominican  Republic,  Guatemala,  Colombia,  Honduras,  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica, 
Panama,  Cuba,  Venezuela,  Ecuador,  Chile,  Argentina,  Brazil,  Paraguay,  Uruguay, 
Mexico). 

A  further  course  on  Avian  Influenza  covered  Laos,  Vietnam,  Cambodia  and  Indonesia  and 
took  place  from  February  to  May  2006.  In  view  of  the  epidemiological  situation  of  the 
disease,  it  is  the  intention  to  extend  this  activity  to  African  countries  as  soon  as  possible. 
Representatives from developing countries were also invited to the other courses. 

EN 

18 

   EN