According EURL mandates, training sessions are first intended for NRLs. On request and after agreement of DG Sanco sessions can be open to other EU or foreign institutions. Trainings are organised according a standard canvas which is adapted to the participants’ knowledge level and expertise. An optimal balance between theory and practice is achieved by the alternation of lectures and exercises. Sessions are organised for light microscopy and PCR.
Light microscopy
Both aspects of the official microscopic method are studied: the sample preparation including the sedimentation, and the microscopic observation on its own.
Each training session is supported by :
- Theoretical and practical notes
- Sets of pure ingredients (meat and bone meals, fish meals, hairs…) and adulterated feed samples. The set also contains several blind samples and blanks
- Sets of permanent slides realised by the EURL-AP
- PowerPoint presentations with animations
- Excellent stereomicroscopes and research microscopes for each participant (for sessions at EURL-AP facilities)
- Free access to the sample collection (for sessions at EURL-AP facilities) and on-line micrographs collection of the EURL-AP
- The presence of one expert trainers per two participants (sessions are limited to a maximum of four participants)
Each participant receives at the end of a training session a certificate of participation for its accreditation system.
On the 2007-08 period a mandatory training program was set up by the EURL-AP for the NRL network. In this way each NRL had the opportunity to gain skills and to enhance its expertise in PAPs detection by the official method. At present a continuous formation program is proposed when needed if some performance failure arises or simply on request of NRLs when new people join their control teams.
PCR
As for light microscopy, PCR training sessions are proposed to the NRLs since 2011. Adequate training support including notes, presentations, laboratory visits, and equipment review is offered to the participants. Demonstrations by experienced professionals on different PCR platforms are provided for the technical part of the sessions. First PCR trainings were giving priority to NRLs that needed to acquire new expertise in this field.
The next training sessions were already organised
At EURL-AP facilities :
| June 2007 | LM | Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary | 6 persons |
| July 2007 | LM | Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia | 4 persons |
| December 2008 | LM | Denmark, Estonia, France, Austria, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Luxemburg, Germany | 9 persons |
| February 2009 | LM | Belgium, Italy, the Nederlands, Cyprus, Greece, United Kingdom | 7 persons |
| December 2010 | PCR | Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia | 6 persons |
| January 2011 | LM | Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland | 4 persons |
| February 2011 | PCR | Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Ireland | 5 persons |
| February 2011 | LM | Germany, Portugal, Romania | 3 persons |
| June 2011 | LM | Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland | 3 persons |
| September 2011 | PCR | Austria, Spain, Poland, Lithuania | 4 persons |
| October 2011 | PCR | Slovenia, Finland, Latvia, Estonia | 4 persons |
| February 2012 | LM | France, Ireland | 2 persons |
| June 2012 | LM | Czech Republic, Luxemburg, Croatia | 3 persons |
| January 2013 | PCR | Bulgaria, Romania | 2 persons |
| February 2013 | LM | France, Latvia, Sweden | 3 persons |
| September 2013 | LM | Greece, Lithuania, Ireland, Spain | 4 persons |
| September 2013 | PCR | Croatia, Belgium | 2 persons |
On Site :
| January 2008 | LM | Romania | 3 persons |
| May 2008 | LM | for SafeedPAP project : Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine | 15 persons |
| October 2008 | LM | Bulgaria | 4 persons |
| April 2009 | LM | Spain | 2 persons |
| September 2009 | LM | Latvia | 3 persons |
| June 2010 | LM | Czech Republic | 4 persons |
| November 2010 | LM | United Kingdom | 3 persons |
| October 2013 | LM & PCR | Czech Republic | 6 persons |