The overall objective of the BTSF Training Programme on the implementation of EU legal requirements for the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) is to strengthen the knowledge and practical skills of competent authority staff in the correct, consistent and efficient use of TRACES.
The programme enables participants to understand and apply the functionalities, workflows, business rules and features of the relevant TRACES modules in accordance with EU legislation. It thereby supports the harmonised implementation of official controls, sanitary and phytosanitary certification, intra-EU movement procedures and export certification across participating countries.
During Phase I, the TRACES technical area comprises seven workshops divided into three complementary courses:
- Course 1C: General training for Border Control Post staff on TRACES CHED-A and CHED-P.
- Course 2C: TRACES CHED-D, CHED-PP, NoA and COI
- Course 3C: General training for local competent authority and veterinary staff on TRACES INTRA, AJL, DOCOM and EXPORT.
Course 1C: TRACES CHED-A and CHED-P
The course covers the use of CHED-A and CHED-P for the import and official control of live animals and products of animal origin. It addresses the relevant IMSOC and TRACES framework, non-EU establishment listings, LMS rules, system interconnections and the recording of official controls and laboratory results.
Participants work with procedures such as the creation, cloning, replacement and processing of CHEDs, transit, transhipment, transfer to control points, onward transportation, splitting of consignments, re-entry, rejection and follow-up of non-compliant consignments. The course also covers reporting through Qlik Sense, electronic signatures and practical case-based exercises in TRACES.
Course 2C: TRACES CHED-D, CHED-PP, NoA and COI
The course covers the use of CHED-D, CHED-PP, NoA and COI for official controls on plants, plant products, food and feed of non-animal origin and organic products. It addresses the relevant IMSOC and TRACES framework, CERTEX interoperability, EU IMPORT, PHYTO, IPPC ePhyto and other relevant system interconnections.
Participants work with the creation, processing, copying, replacement and cloning of documents, the recording of official controls and laboratory results, the management of operators and establishments, and the application of the COI–CHED link. The course also covers transit, onward transportation, transfer to control points, splitting of consignments, non-compliances, reporting through Qlik Sense, electronic signatures and practical exercises in TRACES.
Course 3C: TRACES INTRA, AJL, DOCOM and EXPORT
The course covers the use of INTRA, AJL, DOCOM and EXPORT for intra-EU movements and export certification of live animals and animal products. It addresses the relevant legal framework, EU LMS rules, TRACES user roles, operators and establishments, system notifications and general platform functionalities.
Participants work with INTRA certification, Animal Journey Logs, the recording of official controls and follow-up actions, DOCOM procedures and links between DOCOM, INTRA and acknowledgements of delivery. The course also covers EU EXPORT procedures, harmonised and agreed certificate models, cloning between INTRA and EXPORT, re-entry and non-compliance procedures, reporting through Qlik Sense, electronic signatures and practical exercises in TRACES.
The training programme is intended for officials from relevant competent authorities who are directly involved in official controls, certification procedures and the use of TRACES. The target audience differs according to the modules and procedures covered by each training programme.
Course 1C: TRACES CHED-A and CHED-P
Training Programme 1C is intended for Border Control Post staff and other competent authority officials involved in official controls and import procedures for live animals and products of animal origin, particularly those using CHED-A and CHED-P in TRACES.
Course 2C: TRACES CHED-D, CHED-PP, NoA and COI
Training Programme 2C is intended for Border Control Post staff and other competent authority officials involved in official controls and import procedures concerning plants, plant products, food and feed of non-animal origin and/or organic products, particularly those using CHED-D, CHED-PP, NoA and COI in TRACES.
Participants whose responsibilities are limited exclusively to import controls of organic products through COI should not apply. Applicants should also be involved in at least one of the other areas covered by the course, such as CHED-D, CHED-PP or NoA.
Course 3C: TRACES INTRA, AJL, DOCOM and EXPORT
Training Programme 3C is intended for local competent authority and veterinary staff involved in procedures relating to intra-EU movements, Animal Journey Logs, commercial documents and/or export certification for live animals and animal products, particularly those using INTRA, AJL, DOCOM and EXPORT in TRACES.
Common participant requirements
Participants should:
- Be directly involved in the implementation, planning, coordination or supervision of the procedures covered by the relevant training programme.
- Have sound practical experience in the use of TRACES, preferably as regular or daily users of one or more of the modules covered by the course.
- Possess the technical and linguistic knowledge necessary to participate actively in the training, including sufficient proficiency in English.
- Be in a position to contribute to the improvement of official controls and the harmonised use of TRACES within their competent authority.
- Commit to disseminating the knowledge and good practices acquired during the training and to reporting on dissemination activities through the relevant BTSF survey.
This BTSF training is intended to complement, and not replace, training provided by competent authorities under their general obligations at national level
| Session | Start Date | End Date | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21/09/2026 | 24/09/2026 | Ljubljana | Slovenia |
| 2 | 07/12/2026 | 10/12/2026 | Rome | Italy |
| 3 | 15/02/2027 | 18/02/2027 | Lisbon | Portugal |
| 4 | 15/03/2027 | 18/03/2027 | Bucharest | Romania |
| 5 | 11/10/2027 | 14/10/2027 | Athens | Greece |
| 6 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | TBD | TBD | Bratislava | Slovakia |
Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed - eLearning module
This eLearning course is aimed at allowing participants to improve their knowledge and skills in:
- EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (recent developments and aspects of Food Law, food hygiene, food control rules and other relevant legislation).
- Requirements for setting up a RASFF network inside a country, including required level of food and feed controls.
- Organisational structure of competent authorities.
- Legal basis and communication needs.
- Requirements for setting up a regional network of countries exchanging rapid alerts about Food and Feed, including the possibility for exchange of information, required legal basis for the system, transparency and confidentiality requirements and notification follow-up.
Features
365 days access
- Average dedication: 8 hours
Online
- 6 Units
- Self-Paced
- Multimedia
Available in:
- English
- Other languages
How to Register
- You can apply using the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System.
- If you are a staff member working in EU Institutions, please use the link to the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System above and ensure you select "EU institutions and Agencies" in the field "Group that represents you the best" in your profile.
- For any other enquiries please send a message to HADEA-BTSF-ACADEMY-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu and the BTSF ACADEMY Team will be glad to assist you.
This eLearning course is designed to improve knowledge and skills of economic operators and competent authority officials using TRACES.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Define what is TRACES and the legal framework governing TRACES and the IMSOC
- Understand the legal framework governing the following TRACES modules: EU EXPORT and PHYTO for export.
- Navigate on TRACES system and gain practical skills for the issuance of the EU EXPORT and PHYTO for export certificates
Features
365 days access
- Average duration: 4 hours
Online
- 3 Units
- Self-Paced
- Multimedia
Available in:
- English
- Other languages
How to Register
- You can apply using the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System.
- If you are a staff member working in EU Institutions, please use the link to the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System above and ensure you select "EU institutions and Agencies" in the field "Group that represents you the best" in your profile.
- For any other enquiries please send a message to HADEA-BTSF-ACADEMY-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu and the BTSF ACADEMY Team will be glad to assist you.
This eLearning course is designed to improve knowledge and skills of economic operators and competent authority officials using TRACES.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Define what is TRACES and the legal framework governing TRACES and the IMSOC
- Understand the legal framework governing the following TRACES modules: CHED: A-P-D-PP and NoA (Notification of Arrival)
- Navigate on TRACES system and gain practical skills for the issuance of the CHED/NoA certificates.
Features
365 days access
- Average duration: 4 hours
Online
- 3 Units
- Self-Paced
- Multimedia
Available in:
- English
- Other languages
How to Register
- You can apply using the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System.
- If you are a staff member working in EU Institutions, please use the link to the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System above and ensure you select "EU institutions and Agencies" in the field "Group that represents you the best" in your profile.
- For any other enquiries please send a message to HADEA-BTSF-ACADEMY-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu and the BTSF ACADEMY Team will be glad to assist you.
This eLearning course is designed to improve knowledge and skills of economic operators and competent authority officials using TRACES.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Define what is TRACES and the legal framework governing TRACES and the IMSOC
- Understand the legal framework governing the following TRACES modules: EU IMPORT and PHYTO.
- Navigate on TRACES system and gain practical skills for the issuance of the EU IMPORT and PHYTO modules and on the platform.
Features
365 days access
- Average duration: 4 hours
Online
- 3 Units
- Self-Paced
- Multimedia
Available in:
- English
- Other languages
How to Register
- You can apply using the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System.
- If you are a staff member working in EU Institutions, please use the link to the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System above and ensure you select "EU institutions and Agencies" in the field "Group that represents you the best" in your profile.
- For any other enquiries please send a message to HADEA-BTSF-ACADEMY-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu and the BTSF ACADEMY Team will be glad to assist you.
This eLearning course is designed to improve knowledge and skills of economic operators and competent authority officials using TRACES.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Define what is TRACES and the legal framework governing TRACES and the IMSOC
- Understand the legal framework governing the following TRACES modules: EU Intra, AJL (Animal Journey Log) and DOCOM (commercial documents)
- Navigate on TRACES system and gain practical skills for the issuance of the Intra EU certificates, DOCOM and the Animal Journey log.
Features
365 days access
- Average duration: 4 hours
Online
- 3 Units
- Self-Paced
- Multimedia
Available in:
- English
- Other languages
How to Register
- You can apply using the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System.
- If you are a staff member working in EU Institutions, please use the link to the BTSF ACADEMY Training Management System above and ensure you select "EU institutions and Agencies" in the field "Group that represents you the best" in your profile.
- For any other enquiries please send a message to HADEA-BTSF-ACADEMY-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu and the BTSF ACADEMY Team will be glad to assist you.
The overall objectives of the BTSF Training Programme/Course on Operation of the TRACES certification system are:
- The objective to provide hands on training on the use of the TRACES system for the recording and performance of official controls in BCPs, in line with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 ("Official Controls Regulation") and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 (the IMSOC Regulation).
- The specific objectives of this TRACES Workshop would be to provide an "advanced" TRACES training to the SPS authorities of EU MS and countries with special agreements (CH, IS, NO, LI, UK(NI)). The aim of that training / workshop would be to cover all advanced functionalities of TRACES in order to provide some insight and clarify certain aspects in particular in relation to newly implemented functions/ tools.
The course addresses the following topics:
- Main TRACES interface: Users' dashboards, Search functions, Advanced search.
- INTRA module workflow
- Animal Journey Log: Workflow.
- Creation and management of EU approved / registered establishments in TRACES.
- Creation and management of transporters' reference data: Means of transport, certified drivers, attendants.
- Qlikview: Advanced functions and E-certification: Functioning, e-seal renewal procedures.
This Training Programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the selection criteria before submitting or validating applications.
- Decision making level
- Active player in definition of animal health policies.
- Experience in official controls and the use of the TRACES system for certification.
- Participants should be advanced users of TRACES and come from:
- Veterinary (CHED-A, CHED-P, Intra, Animal Journey Log, Docom, EU Export) or
- Plant Health (CHED-PP, Phyto for Export) or
- Food and Feed of non-animal origin (CHED-D) areas.
| Session | Start Date | End Date | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18/02/2025 | 21/02/2025 | Rome | Italy |
| 2 | 25/11/2025 | 28/11/2025 | Athens | Greece |
The objective of the training is to continue cooperation activities on information management systems at international level with a view to further raise awareness and contribute to a better understanding and more efficient use of existing EU SPS information management systems by the competent authorities and other stakeholders in non-EU countries.
It will also aim to facilitate their integration as active users in these systems and in the specific case of the TRACES system, support them in adapting it, in accordance with the principles used at EU level by this system, for the exchange of information both inside the country and between countries located in the same geographical region.
- Officers of the National Competent Authority.
- Government Ministries and Inspection services.
- Be involved in the certification process for goods exported to the EU.
- Be involved in the certification process for goods traded at regional level between non-EU countries.
| Session | Start Date | End Date | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22/11/2021 | 26/11/2021 | online | Ukraine |
| 2 | 28/02/2022 | 04/03/2022 | Online | CDMX, Mexico |
| 3 | 12/07/2022 | 15/07/2022 | Online | Cote d'Ivoire |
| 4 | 11/07/2022 | 15/07/2022 | Santiago | Chile |
| 5 | 19/09/2022 | 23/09/2022 | Cairo | Egypt |
| 6 | 08/11/2022 | 10/11/2022 | Jakarta | Indonesia |
| 7 | 16/01/2023 | 19/01/2023 | Mumbai | India |
| 8 | 24/07/2023 | 27/07/2023 | Dar es Salaam | Tanzania |
| 9 | 19/09/2023 | 22/09/2023 | Cape Town | South Africa |
| 10 | 16/09/2023 | 16/09/2023 | Tashkent | Uzbekistan |
| 11 | 13/11/2023 | 16/11/2023 | Bangkok | Thailand |
| 12 | 29/01/2024 | 01/02/2024 | Bogota | Colombia |
The objective of the BTSF training activities on TRACES in Member States is to digitise the entire certification process and linked procedures, and is in line with the declaration of the Digital Agenda for Europe. The objective of the training courses is to train experts, to expand their theoretical knowledge and practical skills, and to reach a common understanding of the EU legislation. They aim at contributing to the better respect of the EU Food and Feed law in EU Member States and non-EU Countries exporting to the EU, and at increasing the awareness in neighbouring non-EU Countries on the EU approach on food and feed hygiene, animal health, animal welfare, plant health and official controls.
The project is articulated in 5 courses for a total of 16 three-day training sessions on the “Use of the EU Trade Control And Expert System (TRACES)”:
- Course 1. TRACES use at import of live animals and products of animal origin: 4 three-day training sessions.
- Course 2. TRACES use at import of products of plant origin: 3 three-day training sessions.
- Course 3. TRACES use at import of live plants: 3 three-day training sessions.
- Course 4. TRACES use at import of organic products: 3 three-day training sessions.
- Course 5. TRACES use in intra-EU trade of live animals: 3 three-day training sessions.
The specific objectives of the course are:
- To train staff involved in official control activities so as to keep them up-to-date with the use of the EU Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES).
- Thereby, the programme will aim at ensuring a harmonised use of TRACES, taking into account the latest updates available. As TRACES is an IT tool in continuous development, the programme will also be flexible and able to adapt its contents to the new upcoming possibilities of the system. Both the private and the public sector will benefit from a more harmonised use of TRACES and a deeper knowledge on the system by staff responsible for the official controls: better cooperation with customs, statistical data available, reduction of administrative work, faster clearance of the consignment at the border, etc.
The profiles of the applicants should respect the following criteria:
- Be officers of the National Competent Authority, relevant Government Ministries or Inspection services involved (or that may be potentially involved) in the use of the TRACES application at:
- Course 1: BIP level.
- Course 2: DPE level.
- Course 3: Inspection Post.
- Course 4: BIP and DPE level.
- Course 5: LVU level.
- Be involved in the drafting or adaptation of policies and Regulations in line with Regulation (EC) 882/2004, and related to the use of TRACES.
- Be familiar with the principles of the organic farming scheme (for course 4).
- Be compromised to disseminate the learning’s of the training once they finalize the training session.
- Be proficient in the language of the training (English/French according to the session).
| Session | Start Date | End Date | Organiser | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1E | 04/04/2022 | 08/04/2022 | Online | Virtual |
| 5C | 02/05/2022 | 07/05/2022 | Online | Virtual |
| 5A | 20/06/2022 | 24/06/2022 | F2F | Athens, Greece |
| 1F | 15/11/2022 | 18/11/2022 | F2F | Athens, Greece |
| 5D | 14/02/2023 | 17/02/2023 | F2F | Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| 4C | 07/03/2023 | 10/03/2023 | F2F | Lisbon, Portugal |
The overall objectives of the BTSF Training course on Using IMSOC components to achieve the next level of collaboration between competent authorities are:
- To provide for a common understanding of the current state of play of suitable tools and approaches to address new developments are planned for iRASFF and TRACES applications;
- To focus on integration between these applications to reinforce the network
- To show how these platforms can be used for increasing the efficiency of official controls, effective communication, and exchange of information;
- To give the opportunity to trainees to compare key elements of contingency plans and other preparedness elements elaborated by their respective Member States in order to identify and share best practices (e.g existing alert systems and communication tools);
- To allow the exchange of experience and disseminate best pracitces.
The course addresses the following topics:
- Overview regulatory framework IMSOC (with references to Imports, COI, INTRA, AHL, OCR) and Use of IMSOC(TRACES,RASFF and Europhyt) in the BCPs (with reference w to CHEDA, CHEDP, COI, CHEDD, CHEDPP).
- Intensified Official Controls (IOC), TRACES and iRASFF
- New legal framework about COI- How this is applied in IMSOC
- Gathering intelligence (how to use the data retrieved from all relevant tools such as TRACES NT and other systems to identify possible risks
- Management of non-conformities
This Training Programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the selection criteria before submitting or validating applications.
- Competent authority officials organising, implementing and enforcing legislation on official controls and competent authorities carrying out the official controls on consignments entering into the union from non-EU countries (central, BCP, regional).
| Session | Start Date | End Date | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18/10/2022 | 21/10/2022 | Rome | Italy |
| 2 | 17/01/2023 | 20/01/2023 | Athens | Greece |
| 3 | 13/06/2023 | 15/06/2023 | Alicante | Spain |
| 4 | 21/11/2023 | 23/11/2023 | Rome | Italy |