Activities for 2008 in the European Commission DG Health and Consumer Protection's Better Training for Safer Food initiative are set to begin. The initial training session, takes place in Bangkok on 25-29 February. It trains Thai participants on application of the EU's Trade Control Expert System (TRACES). TRACES is a risk management tool for improving procedures for imports of animals and products of animal origin through electronic exchange of import documents and other information.

The TRACES session forms part of a broader training programme which also covers the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. This programme outlines requirements for establishing networks of authorities exchanging rapid alerts about food and feed within and between countries.

The RASFF programme is one of five taking place in 2008 which are specifically dedicated to third countries. Others focus on the application of food testing, EU food standards and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) control. A further programme aims to assess the global HPAI situation after two years of work on the subject within Better Training for Safer Food.

Opportunities for third countries

Third country participants can also attend EU-based training, with a number of places set aside for them at most workshops. However, most participants at EU programmes come from national authorities of Member States, candidate and European Free Trade Association countries.

Ten programmes are scheduled to take place in the EU in 2008, some of which were also held in 2007. These cover veterinary checks at Border Inspection Posts, animal by-products and animal welfare standards, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles, plant protection products and zoonoses. New programmes for 2008 deal with plant health controls, hygiene and controls of meat, milk, fish and products thereof, as well as eradication of BSE and similar diseases.

These programmes should train over 4,000 participants globally during the year, via 120 events including workshops, seminars and assistance missions.

New departure

In addition to the activities outlined above, 2008 also sees a new departure within the initiative with the launch of Better Training for Safer Food in Africa. This programme provides training for African countries on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues.

The main aim of the programme is to raise SPS awareness within Africa, thereby contributing to driving up the standards of safety controls. This should result in safer food and increased exports of African plant products, both of which could help to alleviate poverty in Africa.

The Commission expects to finalise activity proposals for Better Training for Safer Food in Africa by mid-2008. Training should start later in the year and continue through 2009 and 2010.

Better Training for Safer Food has grown continually since its launch in 2006. As of the end of 2007 it had trained around 4,000 people; a figure which should double by the end of 2008. Participating countries will thus have a considerable number of personnel transmitting knowledge acquired during training to their colleagues, thereby further increasing the initiative's impact.