Final Meeting in Warsaw

From the 23rd to the 24th September 40 participants from ten EU countries, including representatives from the European Commission, discuss the perspectives of risk-based inspection tools for organic control in Warsaw.

During the last two years IRM-ORGANIC conducted extensive research on the expectations of organic sector experts (operators, control sectors and users of organic certification) in different countries relating to risk-oriented inspections. An online survey for organic inspectors was carried out. Training concepts of control bodies in Austria, Germany, Italy and Poland were analysed and compared. The training in official food and feed control as well as in other private certification programs for food and feed was compared. Based on this, a proposal for a curriculum of a tailor-made train-the-trainer concept for risk-based inspections was developed within the project and four train-the-trainer courses in Austria, Germany, Italy and Poland were carried out. Trainers from 14 EU member states participated in the pilot train-the-trainer courses.

The results from the IRM-ORGANIC-project including the perspectives for future training courses for inspectors from control bodies, control authorities and competent authorities were presented during the final meeting in Warsaw.

Please find here a list of the presentations of the meeting:

The EU-legislative framework for organic production: Further towards a risk-based approach…
Speaker: György Németh, European Commission DG AGRI

Current status of the implementation of the risk-based approach in organic controls: Achievements and challenges
Speaker: Jose-Pedro Fernández-Lozano, European Commission DG SANCO

The EU innovation transfer project IRM organic: How to support inspector’s competence for risk-based inspections by a targeted competence management?
Speaker: Jochen Neuendorff, IRM-ORGANIC

The way forward: The perspective of the European Organic Certifier Council (EOCC)
Speaker: Michel Reynaud, EOCC

IRM-Organic: Presentation of the Curriculum for the train-the trainer courses for risk-based inspections and experiences from the pilot courses
Speaker: Josef Gitterle, Ulfila Bartels, IRM-ORGANIC