The overall objectives of the BTSF Training Programme/Course on BTSF Regional Workshop on the Safety of Plants and Plant Products are:
The course addresses the following topics:
This Training Programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below.
Pathogens, weeds, and invertebrates cause significant cultivated plants losses worldwide. Plant protection is necessary to protect our crops. It makes its value and benefit evident for agriculture and forestry, as well as for horticulture, particularly by reducing yield losses and securing the quality of crops. It also provides a substantial overall benefit to society: contributes to securing business farms' incomes in agriculture, forestry and horticulture, and thus also to the securing of employment in rural areas. It is an important factor in enhancing the efficiency of crop production on open land and in securing the harmlessness of these products in terms of health.
The 2006 Thematic Strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides led to a new legislative framework for the approval and use of pesticides. As part of this strategy, Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council was adopted on 21 October (named SUD), establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides by reducing the risks and impacts of pesticide use on human health and the environment and promoting the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and of alternative approaches or techniques such as non-chemical alternatives to pesticides.
The EC has been closely following implementation of SUD at MSs level. Considerable progress has been made and nowadays all MSs have adopted their NAPs. Though, the assessment outcomes disclose MSs Implementation under the SUD indicates there is a huge diversity in their completeness and coverage and MSs should improve their plans, as for example, should include measurable targets, in order to provide a clear picture of the extent of SUD implementation.
Special interest and ambitions are focused on the application and assessment of IPM principles and of alternative approaches or techniques such as non-chemical alternatives to pesticides in order to reduce dependency on the use of pesticides. MSs have not yet set clear criteria in order to ensure that the general principles of IPM are implemented by all professional users. Compliance with the principles of IPM at individual grower level is not being systematically checked.
To continue moving towards the better implementation of sustainable use practices and directive provisions, training for the actors involved in developing policies and guidelines, control monitoring and reporting activities is addressed as key toll and a priority for the EC efforts.
The overall objectives of the BTSF Training Programme on Integrated Pest Management (SUD) are:
Specific objectives of the training:
The general objective of BTSF is to ensure a high level of consumer protection at the EU market and provide guarantees of the food from non-EU countries.
In order to achieve this objective, BTSF programme is designed predominantly to train staff of competent authorities of the EU Member States involved in official control activities, offering an adequate network and enhance dialogue between trainees coming from different locations within EU and with trainees from outside the European Union, contributing to exchange experiences and raise the level of knowledge in the technical field covered.
In addition, training on inspection and calibration of pesticide application equipment aims at promoting uniformity of inspection procedures, ensure an adequate use of the technology, and establish professional networking among participants.
Training activities on inspection and calibration of plant protection product application equipment in professional use have been arranged in compliance with the provisions of Directive 2009/128/EC under the Better Training for Safer Food initiative. Six three-day courses will be organized in 2019 and 2020 at the selected locations to train 120 official representatives of the EU MS and Candidate Countries.
The overall objectives of the BTSF Training Programme on Pesticide application equipment are:
Topics included in the program are mainly focused on related with the mandatory inspection of sprayers in use in EU and also the important aspects related with calibration of the sprayers. According to the Sustainable Use Directive (SUD) (128/2009/CE) as official procedure of the inspections, the situation of new ISO standards, administrative procedure, technical requirements and differences among EU members should be addressed during the three days courses. Linked to that, and also following the SUD statement concerning calibration of sprayers, aspects as nozzle selection process, determination of the optimal volume rate, drift reduction and good agricultural practices will be included. Precision agriculture has been also included as a part of the program, giving to the attendants some guidelines about the state of the art and possibilities of the use of new technologies to improve the pesticide application process. The program has been organized in a logical order combining administrative, technical and practical aspects. Workshops, discussion sessions and case studies have been selected and programmed to make more attractive and profitable the course for the attendants.
According to the mandatory topics specified in the official call published by DG SANTÉ, the following topics will be addressed during the 3-day training course (2 full days and 2 half days):
Staff of competent authorities involved in official control activities from the EU Member States, potential candidate countries and EFTA/EEA.
The BTSF Training Programme on PPP evaluation: Assessment of the environmental fate and behavior of plant protection products in soil, water and air overall objectives are:
Module 1- General approaches to risks evaluation: difference between hazard and risk and the pesticide risk assessment evaluation approach, effects evaluation on non-target organism, exposure assessment, the significance of the relationship between effects and exposure, the importance of risk characterization.
Module 2- The EU legislative framework on pesticide risk evaluation and sustainability including the pesticide package, information on IPM and the different methodologies available and the link with other regulations as the WFD (the Directive 2000/60/EC).
Module 3 - Exposure refinement and mitigation measure applicable.
BTSF Training Programme on PPP Evaluation: Eco-toxicological risk assessment
The general objectives of this course are:
BTSF EU Training Programme on PPP evaluation: Eco-toxicological risk assessment for the terrestrial and aquatic environment : Learning Resources (2017 96 10).
The overall objectives of the BTSF Training Programme on PPP Evaluation: Risk assessment of efficacy of plant protection products are:
Module 1- General principles of the efficacy evaluation of plant protection products in the framework of the Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, practical guidance and discussion on the efficacy evaluation of PPPs:
Module 2- Harmonization among members state Principles of efficacy evaluation for low-risk plant protection products and related regulatory aspects.
The BTSF Training Programme on PPP evaluation: Toxicological risk assessment (human health) overall objectives are:
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Organisation and implementation of training activities on the Risk assessment of microorganisms used as pesticides and biocides under the Better Training For Safer Food Academy.
The objective of the training is to support development of expertise as regards the risk assessment methodologies for microorganisms to be used in biocidal and plant protection products. This shall also enhance competences in evaluating dossier admissibility/validity and risk assessment, and will also aim to promote, as much as possible, harmonisation of the procedures of evaluation, and authorisation of such microorganisms within the EU.
The training targets participants from the competents authorities of EU member states, Candidate Countries, EFTA/EEA Countries and potential candidate countries.
BTSF Workshop on Sustainable use of pesticides Directive (SUD) 2009/128/EC: Experiences on its current implementation and possible future perspectives.
The workshop will be dedicated to providing feedback on and discussing the implementation, application and enforcement of the SUD, also taking into account the outcome of Commission fact-finding missions and audits on the subject.
The objective of the workshops is to share the knowledge of the competent authorities of the Member States and to discuss common problems, good practices and methods for official controls relating to the workshop topic as an input to the evaluation of the SUD and impact assessment of its planned revision.
The workshop is being organised under the European Commission Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) initiative.
