• Entrepreneurs
• Business information
• Certification
• CAFIA laboratories
• CAFIA opinions
• More information
• Consumers
• How to know the food market
• Results of CAFIA inspections
• Consumer rights
• List of risky sites
• Hoaxes
• Other visitors
• Press Releases
• Internships at CAFIA
• Public contracts

11. EU PROJECTS

11.1 The Phare Project - “Strengthening Food Safety Policy”

The Phare project “Strengthening Food Safety Policy” was officially commenced in April 2003. The principal objective of this project is to further develop the CAFIA by way of training and consultancy, enhanced processes in the organization achieved by introducing the ISO 9001:2000 standard and CAFIA certification, and the establishment of a common information system of supervisory bodies in the area of food safety (and its connection to the RASFF). The following bodies will be involved in this system: Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority, Central Supervising and Testing Institute for Agriculture, State Veterinary Administration, State Phytosanitary Administration, General Directorate of Customs and the Public Health Service of the Ministry of Health. On the occasion of commencing the project a press conference was held with the participation, inter alia, of the Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic Mr. Jaroslav Palas, representatives of NAGREF (Greece), who are the project twinning partners, representatives of the Greek Embassy in Prague, representatives of the EC Delegation in Prague, Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic and CAFIA.

After the project commencement tender dossiers were prepared for the suppliers of HW and SW for the information system as well as a tender dossier for consultancy during the introduction of the quality management system in the CAFIA; these dossiers were submitted for comments to the Centre for Foreign Assistance of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic of the Czech Republic and subsequently to the Delegation of the European Commission in Prague. With the exception of the supply tender dossier for HW for the information system this process was not completed in 2003.

Benchmarking

In the initial phase an activity took place focused on recognising the activities performed in the CAFIA with the objective of disclosing weaknesses in the organization (benchmarking). The analysis of the CAFIA was elaborated with the help of the “business excellence” model that assesses the organization from the point of view of performance, customer orientation, utilization and development of human resources, strategy, corporate policy, partnerships, resources and processes. The main conclusion arising from the report elaborated by a twinning expert showed the need to improve the system of internal communication within the organization.

Training

In the second half of 2003 three out of the total number of five seminars for the CAFIA management were held; the topics were as follows: “Strategy and Planning”; “Project Management”; and “Information Flows Management”. As to the training targeted at the representatives of the CAFIA middle and lower management, all the following seminars took place: “Management of Human Resources”; “Change Management”; “Personal Development”; “Strategic Management”; and “Internal Communication and Media Training”. A part of the planned specialized seminars intended for inspectors, laboratory staff, control, laboratories and certification department staff and lawyers was also held. These seminars particularly included the microbiological seminar the practical part of which took place in the microbiological laboratory of the Veterinary Medicine Research Institute in Brno, the seminars on methods of sampling for the official control of foodstuffs, foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses, risk analysis and toxicology. The seminar dealing with the issues of the White Paper and the new concept and implementation of the EC food law was also viewed very positively.

Consultancy

An activity concerning the consultancy for the establishment of the framework for lifelong training at the CAFIA and the improvement of the control system of fresh fruit and vegetables in the Czech Republic was also partly performed. Greek experts familiarized themselves with the current system of training during their meetings with CAFIA staff. A final report with recommendations will be presented in the first quarter of 2004.

In terms of the activity concerning the control system of fresh fruit and vegetables in the market of the Czech Republic, the Greek specialists visited the CAFIA with the objective of acquainting themselves with the control system and CAFIA competences stipulated by legislation. Together with the CAFIA inspectors they participated in the inspections of entities handling fresh fruit and vegetables in the Czech market. Based on their findings, the Greek specialists recommended to supplement the CAFIA competences with the audit of the HACCP system. The organization of the seminar for CAFIA inspectors was also proposed; its objective would be to familiarize them with the principles of quality systems such as the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Hygiene Practice (GHP) and HACCP, particularly with regard to inspections and external audits. Greek specialists will prepare a manual for the representatives of the private sector showing how the above systems should be implemented in practice. This manual will be distributed to relevant representatives of the private sector. 

Study visits

During the year two out of the total of three study visits planned within the project took place. During the study visit to Greece the CAFIA management representatives and the CAFIA project manager visited the headquarters and some organizations of the NAGREF partner organization, EFET - the Hellenic Food Authority, National Chemical Laboratory and Planet Regional, the consultancy company. The objective of this visit was to get to know the food control system in Greece and to share experience.

The CAFIA specialists for fresh fruit and vegetables, wine, olive oil and organic production participated in another study visit. In the framework of their trip they visited food operators in Greece - in Thessaloniki and Crete - dealing with organic production of wine; processing sultanas; purchasing, sorting, packaging and exporting fresh fruit and vegetables; growing and processing citruses; and growing olives. They also visited several research institutes of the Greek partner organization NAGREF involved in research focusing on growing fruit and vegetables and the regional branch of the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET) in Crete.

Project management

During the year the project Steering Committee met three times in the presence of the CAFIA coordinator and project manager, project manager from the Greek partnering organization NAGREF, pre-accession advisor, independent evaluator of training, representatives of the Delegation of the European Commission in Prague, Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic and Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic. In these meetings a report prepared by the pre-accession advisor was submitted presenting the results achieved in the given period, and the proposals for additional activities based on the topical CAFIA needs were presented. One of these activities was for example a working trip of two laboratory staff of the Inspectorate in Brno to the NAGREF Biotechnological Research Institute in Athens. During this visit the CAFIA operatives carried out analyses of foodstuffs to detect genetically modified organisms.

The information concerning the results achieved was also regularly presented during monthly meetings held at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. The representatives of all Phare projects performed within the Ministry of Agriculture department also participate in the meetings. The CAFIA project is represented and the information on the results achieved in the given period is presented by the project manager.

11.2 The Phare Project – “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights”

The CAFIA participated actively in the Phare project - “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights”, implemented by the Industrial Property Office. This project had already been started in 2001. A CAFIA’s representative participated regularly in the meetings of the project steering committee. In the framework of this project, 100 CAFIA staff members and 10 CAFIA trainers will be trained in the issues concerning intellectual property rights. In 2003, a time schedule for training was prepared. Training will be held in six cycles in the first half of 2004.

11.3 The QUID Thematic Network Project

Also in this year, the CAFIA’s experts carried on in the project funded and realized by the European Commission under the name of the QUID Thematic Network. The CAFIA’s representatives prepared for and participated in the meetings of the steering committee and in the meetings of the project working parties, held in March in Barcelona and in November in Budapest. The aim of this three-year project is to determine the procedures used in quantitative ingredients declaration (QUID) checks in individual EU countries and candidate countries for selected foodstuff types (determination of meat, milk and fruit contents); these procedures should be unified and defined, and their limits and potential development should be determined as well.

26 participants from nine EU countries and five candidate countries are involved in the project. The activities include the exchange of theoretical information, discussion about the information, analysis of food samples, interpretation of the results and discussion on a potential optimum method of ingredient determination. Throughout the year, the first two tasks were solved, i.e. determination of meat contents and determination of milk components. The third task concerning the determination of fruit contents will be solved in 2004.

11.4 Transition Facility Projects

In the effort of acquiring the funds for further development and improvement of the CAFIA activities, we prepared proposals for twinning projects within the Transition Facility Projects programme. One of the proposals concerns inspections of imported food of non-animal origin from third countries, and at the beginning of 2004, it will be submitted for approval to the EC Delegation in Prague. Another proposal concerning e-commerce from the point of view of food safety will be revised based on the recommendations of the Centre for Foreign Assistance of the Ministry of Finance and submitted for approval in 2004.