BTSF EU Training Activities cover a wide range of topics all of which relate to Food and Feed safety. This category contains information about those which are focused on Animal Health.

Animal Health Law

Background information

The Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency and The European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumers are organising a set of 15 training sessions in the field of Animal disease preparedness, including early warning, contingency planning and animal disease control as part of the Better Training for Safer Food initiative. In total, 450 participants coming from selected Member States and other countries will be invited. The training sessions will be held in Latvia, Netherlands, Italy and Bulgaria in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Objectives

The BTSF EU Training Programme on Animal Health Law overall objectives are: 

  • To provide for a common understanding of the current state of play of tools suitable to address emerging animal diseases (including zoonoses), and the related early reaction veterinary interventions.
  • To increase the efficacy of veterinary services in protecting the EU territory against the occurrence of emerging animal diseases.
  • To give the opportunity to the trainees to compare key elements of contingency plans and other preparedness elements elaborated by their respective Member States in order to identify and share best practices.

Content

The course addresses the following topics:

  • Existing EU legislation relevant to epidemics emergencies and beyond (i.e. emerging diseases).
  • Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases (Animal Health Law) – provisions related to disease awareness, preparedness and control, in particular contingency planning and simulation exercises and its future ramifications for this area.
  • Disease awareness and preparedness.
  • Stakeholders involvement and enhanced passive (primary) surveillance.
  • Contingency planning.
  • Chain of command, communication with veterinary services.
  • Operating procedure for investigating suspect cases.
  • Data collection for epidemiological analysis of outbreaks.
  • Operating procedures after the confirmation of an outbreak, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones.
  • Measures to be taken in case of outbreaks, including stamping out taking into account consideration animal protection at killing and carcasses disposal considering environmental concerns.
  • Preventive measures and biosecurity including personnel protection practices and equipment.
  • Surveillance.
  • Management of animal movements and certification.
  • Notifications and exchange of information at national internal and EU level
  • Coordination between public health, animal health and other services in a One Health Context.
  • Networking, coordination, cooperation and mutual support between Member States and if necessary with neighbouring non-EU countries.
  • Application, self-assessment, analysis and update of contingency plans.
  • Simulation exercises and other preparedness activities.
  • Insight into the use of modelling for disease spread scenarios.
  • Antigen and vaccines banks.
  • Communication with the public.
  • Moreover, each training focuses on a particular animal disease, as follows:
    • Topic 1: African Swine Fever – Pig farms (taking place in Riga, Latvia). 
    • Topic 2: Foot and Mouth Disease – Cattle farms (taking place in Utrecht, Netherlands).
    • Topic 3: Avian Influenza – Poultry farms (taking place in Venice, Italy).
    • Topic 4: Lumpy Skin Disease – Cattle farms (taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria).

Target audience

Member State veterinary services staff with adequate professional experience, familiar with the relevant EU legislation and animal disease surveillance and the most modern and effective control measures and in a position to provide training to and sharing experience with others following their attendance has been identified as the target group for the training.

Calendar and locations

Session Start Date End Date City Country
1 21/01/2019 25/01/2019 Venice Italy
2 18/02/2019 22/02/2019 Utrecht Netherlands
3 15/04/2019 19/04/2019 Sofia Bulgaria
4 03/06/2019 07/06/2019 Riga Latvia
5 01/07/2019 05/07/2019 Sofia Bulgaria
6 09/09/2019 13/09/2019 Riga Latvia
7 07/10/2019 11/10/2019 Riga Latvia
8 04/11/2019 08/11/2019 Utrecht Netherlands
9 09/12/2019 13/12/2019 Venice Italy
10 20/01/2020 24/01/2020 Venice Italy
11 17/02/2020 21/02/2020 Utrecht Netherlands

Animal disease preparedness

Background information

The Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency and The European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumers are organising a set of 15 training sessions in the field of Animal disease preparedness, including early warning, contingency planning and animal disease control as part of the Better Training for Safer Food initiative. In total, 450 participants coming from selected Member States and other countries will be invited. The training sessions will be held in Latvia, Netherlands, Italy and Bulgaria in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Objectives

The BTSF EU Training Programme on Animal disease preparedness overall objectives are: 

  • To provide for a common understanding of the current state of play of tools suitable to address emerging animal diseases (including zoonoses), and the related early reaction veterinary interventions.
  • To increase the efficacy of veterinary services in protecting the EU territory against the occurrence of emerging animal diseases.
  • To give the opportunity to the trainees to compare key elements of contingency plans and other preparedness elements elaborated by their respective Member States in order to identify and share best practices.

Content

The course addresses the following topics:

  • Existing EU legislation relevant to epidemics emergencies and beyond (i.e. emerging diseases).
  • Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases (Animal Health Law) – provisions related to disease awareness, preparedness and control, in particular contingency planning and simulation exercises and its future ramifications for this area.
  • Disease awareness and preparedness.
  • Stakeholders involvement and enhanced passive (primary) surveillance.
  • Contingency planning.
  • Chain of command, communication with veterinary services.
  • Operating procedure for investigating suspect cases.
  • Data collection for epidemiological analysis of outbreaks.
  • Operating procedures after the confirmation of an outbreak, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones.
  • Measures to be taken in case of outbreaks, including stamping out taking into account consideration animal protection at killing and carcasses disposal considering environmental concerns.
  • Preventive measures and biosecurity including personnel protection practices and equipment.
  • Surveillance.
  • Management of animal movements and certification.
  • Notifications and exchange of information at national internal and EU level
  • Coordination between public health, animal health and other services in a One Health Context.
  • Networking, coordination, cooperation and mutual support between Member States and if necessary with neighbouring non-EU countries.
  • Application, self-assessment, analysis and update of contingency plans.
  • Simulation exercises and other preparedness activities.
  • Insight into the use of modelling for disease spread scenarios.
  • Antigen and vaccines banks.
  • Communication with the public.
  • Moreover, each training focuses on a particular animal disease, as follows:
    • Topic 1: African Swine Fever – Pig farms (taking place in Riga, Latvia). 
    • Topic 2: Foot and Mouth Disease – Cattle farms (taking place in Utrecht, Netherlands).
    • Topic 3: Avian Influenza – Poultry farms (taking place in Venice, Italy).
    • Topic 4: Lumpy Skin Disease – Cattle farms (taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria).

Target audience

Member State veterinary services staff with adequate professional experience, familiar with the relevant EU legislation and animal disease surveillance and the most modern and effective control measures and in a position to provide training to and sharing experience with others following their attendance has been identified as the target group for the training.

Calendar and locations

Session Start Date End Date City Country
1 21/01/2019 25/01/2019 Venice Italy
2 18/02/2019 22/02/2019 Utrecht Netherlands
3 15/04/2019 19/04/2019 Sofia Bulgaria
4 03/06/2019 07/06/2019 Riga Latvia
5 01/07/2019 05/07/2019 Sofia Bulgaria
6 09/09/2019 13/09/2019 Riga Latvia
7 07/10/2019 11/10/2019 Riga Latvia
8 04/11/2019 08/11/2019 Utrecht Netherlands
9 09/12/2019 13/12/2019 Venice Italy
10 20/01/2020 24/01/2020 Venice Italy
11 17/02/2020 21/02/2020 Utrecht Netherlands

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies animal by products

Background information

The Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency of the European Commission Directorate General for Health and Food Safety is organising a set of 8 training sessions in the field of the prevention, control and eradication of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Animal By-Products as part of the Better Training for Safer Food initiative. In total, 320 participants coming from selected Member States and other countries will be invited. The training sessions will be held in Portugal, France and Croatia/Slovenia in 2019 and 2020.

Objectives

The BTSF EU Training Programme on Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies animal by products overall objectives are: 

  • To provide for a common understanding and deep knowledge of certain EU ABP and TSE rules amongst officials in charge of implementing these rules.
  • To increase the efficacy of the competent authorities to verify the compliance with the legal requirements in this field.
  • To give the opportunity to the trainees to compare approaches and strategies of the Member States in order to identify and share best practices.

Content

The course addresses the following topics:

  • What's new on TSEs from the scientific community.
  • Regulation (EC) N°999/2001: How the EU tackled the BSE crisis and kept TSE in small ruminants under control.
  • The ABP regulations.
  • Categorization of ABPs.
  • Brainstorming exercise on traceability of ABPs.
  • ABPs in feed.
  • Insects and ABP.
  • Intracommunity traceability exercise.
  • Cleaning procedure: where are we?
  • Detection of PAPs by light microscopy and PCR.
  • Practical exercise on application of the two different PAPs detection methods on feed according to the present legislation.
  • Import and Transit Controls of ABPs.
  • Export of Certain ABP and Derived Products.
  • Detection of fraud on export with PAPs and MBM.
  • Presentation and Tour of the Feed Plant.
  • Official controls in feed establishments concerning Reg (EC) No 999/2001.
  • Workshop: short inspection exercise at the Feed Plant and at the Rendering Plant.
  • Presentation and Tour of the Rendering Plant.
  • Official controls in rendering plants.
  • Control of scrapie in the European Union.
  • Workshop on legal requirements with respect to TSE control and eradication measures in small ruminants.
  • Chronic Wasting disease in Europe: EU provisions and monitoring programme.

Target audience

Official staff with adequate professional experience, familiar with the relevant EU legislation and prevention, control and eradication of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and control of use of Animal By-Products and in a position to provide training to and sharing experience with others following their attendance has been identified as the target group for the training.

Calendar and locations

Session Start Date End Date City Country
1 05/02/2019 08/02/2019 Porto Portugal
2 19/03/2019 22/03/2019 Zagreb & Ljubljana Croatia/Slovenia
3 14/05/2019 17/05/2019 Rennes France
4 24/09/2019 27/09/2019 Zagreb & Ljubljana Croatia/Slovenia
5 19/11/2019 22/11/2019 Porto Portugal
6 17/03/2020 20/03/2020 Rennes France
7 21/04/2020 24/04/2020 Porto Portugal
8 26/05/2020 29/05/2020 Rennes France

Movements of pets

Background information

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.

Objectives

The BTSF EU Training Programme on Movements of pets overall objectives are: 

  • The training content will cover: the role of the EU-approved rabies serology laboratories, EU legislation and controls on trade-in and pet movements within the EU, EU legislation on import and on non-commercial movements of dogs and cats from Third Countries, the controls at Border Inspection Posts and at Traveller Points of Entry, best practices in communication and cooperation between competent authorities and other stakeholders, best practices in detecting the illegal movements.
  • The current legislation (Reg. EU 576/2013) for non-commercial movements of pet animals will continue until 21st April 2026 when it will be incorporated into EU Regulation 2016/429, the ‘Animal Health Law’. Directive 91/496 on veterinary checks from third countries and Directive 92/65 on the health requirements governing trade in and imports will be repealed by EU 2017/625 the Official Controls Regulation. This will be mentioned so that delegates are aware of the impending changes.

Target audience

To be Customs Officers working for the Competent Authorities of invited countries in charge of planning or implementing the official controls on import, trade-in or non-commercial movements of dogs and cats from Third Countries and within the EU.

Calendar and locations

Session Start Date End Date City Country
1 24/09/2019 27/09/2019 Paris France
2 15/10/2019 18/10/2019 Malaga Spain
3 05/11/2019 08/11/2019 Athens Greece
4 03/12/2019 06/12/2019 Malaga Spain
5 28/01/2020 31/01/2020 Amsterdam Netherlands
6 24/03/2020 27/03/2020Malaga Spain
7 21/04/2020 24/04/2020 AthensGreece
830/06/2020 03/07/2020 Amsterdam Netherlands

Animal welfare rules

Background information

Organisation and implementation of training activities on animal welfare on the farm, animal welfare at the time of killing of animals (at slaughterhouses and for disease control purposes) and animal welfare during transport under the Better Training for Safer Food initiative.

Objectives

The BTSF EU Training Programme on Animal welfare overall objectives are: 

  • Raising awareness and promoting a common understanding of the EU animal welfare rules applicable to poultry and pig productions, slaughtering practices and long distance transportation.
  • Ensuring consistent and high implementation standards across the Union.
  • Promoting the exchange of good and best practices among EU Member States as regards control activities at farm, at slaughter plants and during transport and related operations.
  • Improving the welfare conditions of live farmed animals in Europe.
  • Improving awareness of the EU legislation on animal welfare in selected non-EU Countries.
  • Stimulating a constructive dialogue among the interested parties (including business operators, NGOs and their umbrella organisations), and also a collaborative climate among EU and Non-EU National Competent Authorities towards common achievements concerning the most controversial aspects in the interpretation of the relevant pieces of legislation.

Target audience

This course is addressed to veterinarians and agricultural engineers.

Calendar and locations

Session Start Date End Date City Country
1 19/02/2019 22/02/2019 Barcelona Spain
2 12/03/2019 15/03/2019 Rome Italy
3 14/05/2019 17/05/2019 Nunspeet Netherlands
4 11/06/2019 14/06/2019 Herning Denmark
5 17/09/2019 20/09/2019 Freising Germany
6 15/10/2019 18/10/2019 Nunspeet Netherlands
7 12/11/2019 15/11/2019 Garrel Germany