The overall objectives of the BTSF Training course on Leveraging remote sensing for plant health are:
- Better understanding of how remote sensing technologies could support Plant Health management
- How to develop or procure remote sensing projects fit for their own needs
The course addresses the following topics:
- Discussing the challenges faced in plant health management, and exploring how remote sensing can help face them.
- Different remote sensing platforms and the mechanisms for data processing and use..
- Practical examples already used by Member States
- Working with data - the participants will get to navigate and query remote sensing data of vegetation in the area nearby the training venue
- Demonstration with the drones in the olive grove at the CIHEAM campus
- Presentation of XylAppEU and JRC App prototype
- Getting the right data for the right needs
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.
The inspection services of national, regional or local authorities competent for the planning and execution of the pest surveys (e.g. National Plant Protection Organisations, Forestry services) and the risk managers that are involved in decisions related to the planning of surveillance activities at national, regional or local levels, including using remote sensing or other novel technologies.
Participant must have at least of 1 year of professional experience as:
- a phytosanitary inspector responsible for planning and conducting pest surveys, including using remote sensing or other novel technologies;
- or a risk manager responsible for planning surveillance activities, including using remote sensing or other novel technologies
| Session | Start Date | End Date | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22/04/2024 | 25/04/2024 | Bari | Italy |
The overall objectives of the BTSF Training Programme on Plant disease outbreaks-contingency planning for priority pests are:
- Provide for a common understanding of the current state of play of suitable approaches to address outbreaks of priority pests in the EU territory
- Identify tools, procedures and reaction measures (generic and specific)
- Compare key elements of contingency plans and other preparedness elements elaborated by their respective MS
- Building capacity at national level for the planning and implementation of plant health contingency actions
- Developing specific skills, through training, simulation and the exchange of experience and best practices
- Ensuring the new skills, knowledge and best practices learned are disseminated effectively within MS
WEBINARS:
Besides the F2F workshops, six webinars of a duration of 3,5 hours each (3,5 hours plus 15 minutes of break) are foreseen to be delivered between February and July 2025. The purpose of these webinars is to provide very specific information about a specific topic, online, where participants interested in a determnined topic can deepen in it.
Each of the topics on their own will have a very specific audience, that would not be interested in attending or in dedicating additional time for other topics included in a F2F training. These practical trainings can respond to specific training needs on topics related to the course subject matter. Topics of the webinars will be the following:
Topic 1 - Measures to be taken, from the moment of a suspicion of pest,
to the full confirmation of a pest
Topic 2 –
Demarcation of areas
Topic 3 –
Communication
Topic 4 - How to prepare a simulation exercise. Types of SE. Aspects to
be considered
Topic 5 - How to prepare an Action Plan
Topic 6 – Outbreak management and eradication measures
The course addresses the following topics:
- Introduction to contingency plans of plant disease outbreaks in EU territory for priority pests.
- EU legal framework on contingency planning.
- Contingency planning: roles and responsibilities, chain of command.
- Simulation exercise and other preparedness activities.
- Action plans for priority pests.
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.
- All official staff of countries invited involved in development and implementation of plant disease outbreak contingency plans.
- All staff from national, regional, and local competent authorities directly involved in carrying out inspections and enforcing controls of plant health, including staff from laboratories.
- Staff of competent authorities involved in controls of imported products.
- Proficient in the English language
| Session | Start Date | End Date | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31/01/2023 | 03/02/2023 | Madrid | Spain |
| 2 | 21/03/2023 | 24/03/2023 | Ljubljana | Slovenia |
| 3 | 18/04/2023 | 21/04/2023 | Bratislava | Slovakia |
| 4 | 23/05/2023 | 26/05/2023 | Tallinn | Estonia |
| 5 | 13/06/2023 | 16/06/2023 | Lisbon | Portugal |
| 6 | 26/09/2023 | 29/09/2023 | Ljubljana | Slovenia |
| 7 | 17/10/2023 | 20/10/2023 | Bratislava | Slovakia |
| 8 | 14/11/2023 | 17/11/2023 | Tallinn | Estonia |
| 9 | 11/12/2023 | 14/12/2023 | Athens | Greece |
| 10 | 23/01/2024 | 26/01/2024 | Athens | Greece |
| 11 | 27/02/2024 | 01/03/2024 | Madrid | Spain |
2nd PHASE |
START DATE | END DATE | LOCATION | PEST USED ON THE SIMULATION EXERCISE |
| 1 | 12/11/2024 | 15/11/2024 | Seville, Spain | Spodoptera frugiperda |
| 2 | 10/12/2024 | 13/12/2024 | Athens, Greece | Spodoptera frugiperda |
| 3 | 28/01/2025 | 31/01/2025 | Catania, Italy | Bactrocera dorsalis |
| 4 | 11/03/2025 | 14/03/2025 | Budapest, Hungary | Popillia japonica |
| 5 | 08/04/2025 | 11/04/2025 | Catania, Italy | Bactrocera dorsalis |
| 6 | 27/05/2025 | 30/05/2025 | Warsaw, Poland | Agrilus planipennis |
| 7 | 24/06/2025 | 27/06/2025 | Tallinn, Estonia | Agrilus planipennis |
| 8 | 14/10/2025 | 17/10/2025 | Budapest, Hungary | Popillia japonica |
| 9 | 25/11/2025 | 28/11/2025 | Athens, Greece | Spodoptera frugiperda |
| 10 | 03/02/2026 | 06/02/2026 | Valencia, Spain | Bactrocera dorsalis |
| 11 | 10/03/2026 | 13/03/2026 | Seville, Spain | Spodoptera frugiperda |
| WEBINARS: | WEBINAR TOPIC: | WEBINAR DATE: | DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF CANDIDATES: | |
| 1 | Measures to be taken | 12th February 2025 | 15th January 2025 | |
| 2 | Demarcation of areas | 6th March 2025 | 6th February 2025 | |
| 3 | Communication | 3rd April 2025 | 6th March 2025 | |
| 4 | How to prepare a Simulation Exercise | 13th May 2025 | 15th April 2025 | |
| 5 | How to prepare an Action Plan | 4th June 2025 | 7th May 2025 | |
| 6 | Outbreak mgmt. and eradication measures | 2nd July 2025 | 4th June 2025 |
The overall objectives of the BTSF Training Programme/Course on Developing skills and sharing best practices in preparation of contingency plans for priority pests are:
- To provide for a common understanding of the current state of play of suitable tools and approaches to address outbreaks of priority pests in the EU territory (application of key definitions and concepts);
- To assess and identify generic (and specific) eradication and containment measures;
- 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 share best practices of the structure of contingency plans and response to crisis situations in food safety and animal health sectors.
The course addresses the following topics:
- Regulatory Framework (International and EU) for Contingency planning and pest eradication
- Generic and pest specific contingency plan, its structure, required information
- Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and required resources (e.g. for surveillance, eradication)
- Action plan, simulation exercises for different priority pests
- Eradication vs containment measures
- Notification and public awareness
This Training Programme has been designed for Official staff of EU Member State authorities with both direct and indirect responsibilities to plant health. Participants would be expected to cascade the knowledge gathered during these specific training courses.
| Session | Start Date | End Date | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29/11/2021 | 02/12/2021 | BCN | SPAIN |
| 2 | 29/03/2022 | 01/04/2022 | VC | CANCELLED |
| 3 | 20/06/2022 | 24/06/2022 | - | ITALY |