The Commission adopted, on 20 September 2006, a Communication on training EU and third-country food- and feed-safety officials. The Communication was adopted in the framework of the Commission's Better Training for Safer Food initiative, the activities of which begun in 2006 with ad-hoc programmes covering issues such as avian influenza, animal byproducts and veterinary checks at border inspection posts.
"Good controls are a key factor in making sure that EU food law is complied with and that food and feed put on the EU market meets the high safety standards we have set. Training for the responsible officials is crucial in ensuring that the controls are carried out fully and properly, and in a uniform manner. The bottom line is that better training of the competent authorities means safer food and greater protection for consumers throughout the EU," said Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.
Some 1,500 health officials are expected to have received some training by the end of 2006 but the Commission's ambition is to train some 6,000 persons a year. Reaching this objective will require an annual budget of around € 15 million. To manage such a training structure and large budget, the Commission proposes the establishment of an executive agency to take care of logistics and organisation. However, according to EU law, a cost-benefit analysis will need to be carried out before delegating such responsibilities. Until then, the Commission will continue to organise training programmes on an ad-hoc basis.
