Together without frontiers


Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) in cooperation with its project partner State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic (SVFA SR) concluded project ‘Strengthening cooperation and development of nets among Czech and Slovak border regions in the domain of food control’ at the final conference in Brno today. With the conference the cross-border cooperation of regional inspectorates in Brno and Olomouc with the regional administration of SVFA SR in Žilina, Trenčín and Trnava, launched at the beginning of this year in Trenčianské Teplice, reached its climax.

The accomplished project was chosen in the framework of the Operational program of cross-border cooperation Slovak Republic – Czech Republic and was by 85% financed from the European fund for regional development. The costs for the project reached almost 40 thousand Euro. Its main aim was realize short-term exchange internships of Czech and Slovak inspectors.

Thirty-two CAFIA inspectors have visited its counterparts’ authorities in Slovakia since January 2009. They also took part in controls aimed especially at wine, fruits and vegetables, drink producers, bakery and confectionary products and retail. Reciprocally the inspectorates in Brno and Olomouc organised exchange stays of 32 Slovakian inspectors. The main goal of the internships was not only to exchange experience and to get acquainted with control procedures of the counterparts, but also built up new contacts.

Although both authorities follow the same European directives, the system of foodstuffs control differs a little at both sides of the frontier. Reactions of the internship participants prove this reality. “SVFA SR ensures control of foodstuffs of both animal and plant origin. Unlikely, food supplements, infant formulas or plain mineral waters are controlled by Slovak hygienists. They also give fines in administrative procedures, but besides that they have in some cases the possibility to give fine on spot, unlike us,” noticed the inspector from Olomouc Ivanka Přecechtělová. “The Slovak inspectors carry out controls on the basis of previous risk analysis as we do. I like very much the way their analysis is elaborated, which parameters are taken into consideration. In this regard we could inspire,” described Alena Celá, the inspector from Brno, her impression.

The Slovak inspectors appreciated the technical equipment of CAFIA, especially the mobile office of the inspector (i. e. notebook and mobile printer), bigger branch specialization of inspectors and also the fact that the administrative procedures with controlled persons are launched by lawyers, not inspectors themselves.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority carries on to use money from European funds and for next year it plans a similar project aimed at cross-border cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs of Saxony as project partner. This has in his competence, among others, the control of foodstuffs.