Commission Implementing Decision of 26 March 2019 on the financing of the ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ programme and the adoption of the work programme for 2019
Date: 2019-03-26
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, EU programme, action programme, animal feedingstuffs, animal welfare, food safety, plant health control, protection of plant life, vocational training




C_2019117EN.01000301.xml










29.3.2019   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 117/3






COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION
of 26 March 2019
on the financing of the ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ programme and the adoption of the work programme for 2019
(2019/C 117/03)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 (1), and in particular Article 110 thereof,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 652/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 laying down provisions for the management of expenditure relating to the food chain, animal health and animal welfare, and relating to plant health and plant reproductive material, amending Council Directives 98/56/EC, 2000/29/EC and 2008/90/EC, Regulations (EC) No 178/2002, (EC) No 882/2004 and (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decisions 66/399/EEC, 76/894/EEC and 2009/470/EC (2), and in particular Article 36(1) thereof,
Whereas:






(1)


Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council (3), which lays down general rules for the performance of official controls, allows the Commission to organise training courses for the staff of the competent authorities of Member States responsible for the official controls concerned, which may also be opened to participants from third countries, in particular developing countries. Those courses may include, in particular, training on European Union feed and food law and animal health and animal welfare rules.










(2)


Council Directive 2000/29/EC (4) constitutes the legal basis for organising training courses in the field of plant health.










(3)


The ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ Programme (5) has been established by the Commission in 2006 in order to achieve the aims set out in Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. The Commission Communication of 20 September 2006 on ‘Better training for safer food’ explains the need for better training in relation to feed and food, animal and plant health and explores options for the future organisation of training activities.










(4)


Regulation (EU) No 652/2014 establishes provisions for the management of expenditure from the general budget of the European Union in the fields governing food and feed safety, animal health and welfare and plant health rules. Article 31 of that Regulation provides that the Union may finance the training of the staff of the competent authorities responsible for official controls in order to develop a harmonised approach to official controls and other official activities to ensure a high level of protection of human, animal and plant health.










(5)


In order to ensure the implementation of the ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ Programme, it is necessary to adopt an annual financing decision, which constitutes the annual work programme on training in the field of food and feed safety, animal health, animal welfare and plant health for 2019. Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 (‘the Financial Regulation’) establishes detailed rules on financing decisions.










(6)


The ‘Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency’ (‘the Agency’), established by Commission Implementing Decision 2013/770/EU (6), should be entrusted with management and programme implementation tasks relating to the food safety training measures performed pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 and Directive 2000/29/EC.










(7)


It is necessary to allow for the payment of interest due for late payment on the basis of Article 116(5) of the Financial Regulation.










(8)


In order to allow for flexibility in the implementation of the work programme, it is appropriate to allow changes which should not be considered substantial for the purposes of Article 110(5) of the Financial Regulation.










(9)


The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,




HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1
The work programme
The annual financing decision, constituting the annual work programme for the implementation of the ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ Programme for the year 2019, as set out in the Annex, is adopted.


Article 2
Union contribution
The maximum Union contribution for the implementation of the programme for 2019 is set at EUR 18 000 000 and shall be financed from the appropriations entered in budget line 17 04 03 of the general budget of the Union.
The appropriations provided for in the first paragraph may also cover interest due for late payment.


Article 3
Flexibility clause
Cumulated changes to the allocations to specific actions not exceeding 20 % of the maximum Union contribution set out in the first paragraph of Article 2 of this Decision shall not be considered to be substantial for the purposes of Article 110(5) of the Financial Regulation, where those changes do not significantly affect the nature of the actions and the objective of the work programme. The increase of the maximum Union contribution set in the first paragraph of Article 2 of this Decision shall not exceed 20 %.
The authorising officer responsible may apply the changes referred to in the first paragraph. Those changes shall be applied in accordance with the principles of sound financial management and proportionality.


Done at Brussels, 26 March 2019.


For the Commission

Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS

Member of the Commission





(1)  OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 1.

(3)  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 rules (OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1).

(4)  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 their spread within the Community (OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1).

(5)  Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament ‘Better training for safer food’, COM(2006) 519 final of 20 September 2006.

(6)  Commission Implementing Decision 2013/770/EU of 17 December 2013 establishing the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency and repealing Decision 2004/858/EC (OJ L 341, 18.12.2013, p. 69).




ANNEX
1.   Introduction

On the basis of the objectives given in Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 and Directive 2000/29/EC, this work programme contains the actions to be financed and the budget breakdown for the year 2019 as follows:












1.1.


Procurement (implemented under direct management): External contracts for the execution of the training programme and other learning tools






EUR 18 000 000 




TOTAL


EUR 18 000 000 




2.   Procurement

The global budgetary envelope reserved for procurement contracts in 2019 amounts to EUR 18 000 000.
LEGAL BASIS





Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, Article 51
Directive 2000/29/EC, Article 2(1)(i)
Regulation (EU) No 652/2014, Articles 31 and 36(1)




BUDGET LINE





Budget line: 17 04 03




GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CONTRACTS ENVISAGED





For each of the technical issues referred to below, one or more direct or specific service contracts will be signed. It is estimated that around 20 direct or specific service contracts will be signed. The contractors are responsible for organising all aspects of the training process, including selecting adequate tutors, developing the training agenda and all technical material, arranging field visits where needed, renting training facilities and organising all logistical aspects for the participants (travel, lodging, catering).




SUBJECT OF THE CONTRACTS ENVISAGED
For 2019, the training actions will concern the following subjects:






Activities


Amount in EUR




Animal disease preparedness


1 140 000 




Animal welfare rules


890 000 




Antimicrobial resistance


1 115 000 




Food hygiene and flexibility


1 055 000 




Food information and composition


850 000 




HACCP


1 600 000 




Microbiological criteria and zoonoses


930 000 




Food fraud and e-commerce


910 000 




Food-borne outbreak preparedness and management


730 000 




EU SPS rules


2 460 000 




Evaluation of certain active substances in the framework of biocidal and plant protection product Regulations


530 000 




Meat hygiene requirements and controls


1 040 000 




New Plant health regime


1 290 000 




Preparedness and crisis management in animals, food and plants


760 000 




Strengthening of Union overview reports


750 000 




BTSF Academy and online learning and teaching


1 350 000 




Animal health and welfare, plant health and food safety contingency trainings, conferences, crisis exercises and learning and dissemination tools


600 000 





TOTAL




18 000 000 





OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES PURSUED





The operational objectives pursued are to develop, organise and manage the training programmes in the identified areas in order to ensure high level of competence amongst control staff, make official controls more uniform, objective and efficient throughout the Union and contribute to a greater uniformity of control procedures between EU and non-EU partners.




EXPECTED RESULTS





The results, as expected by the Commission, are as follows:






(a)


improve the awareness and knowledge of control staff in the identified training areas;










(b)


provide for a common understanding of the current Union provisions and tools relating to official controls in the identified training areas;










(c)


disseminate best practices for official controls in the identified training areas;










(d)


favour exchange of experience in order to increase the level of expertise and harmonisation in the approach to official controls in the identified training areas










(e)


improve preparedness and management capacities of official authorities to crisis in animals, food and plants.








IMPLEMENTATION





EUR 18 000 000  (financing of food safety measures under Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 and Directive 2000/29/EC) will be managed and implemented by the Consumer, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Implementing Decision 2013/770/EU).




INDICATIVE TIMEFRAME FOR LAUNCHING THE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE





Approximately during the 2nd-3rd quarter of 2019




INDICATIVE AMOUNT OF THE CALL FOR TENDERS





EUR 18 000 000