NOVA-BOVA Conference �Building up International Study and Research Networks between the NOVA and BOVA Universities�
Background of the development of
�Food Hygiene and Safety Education Network � for Reliable Food Control in the Nordic and Baltic countries�
and the future initiatives
Aivars B�rzi��
Institute of Food and Environmental Hygiene
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LUA Latvia

"Origin of the project (..."
Origin of the project (network) was bilateral Norwegian- Latvian program �Food Production, Agriculture and Society� (part at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LUA) (1999- 2003)
Partners: Agricultural University of Norway, Noragric
The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
The main idea was to use already existing Nordic competence and cooperation to support Baltic institutions and professionals in the area of food hygiene education/ research (not only at Universities, but also involving state laboratories, and some of governmental institutions involved in food control)

"Application to Nordic Grant Scheme..."
Application to Nordic Grant Scheme for Networking Co-operation with Baltic countries and Northwest Russia (February, 2001)
Application draft written January, 2001 (Helsinki, Finland)- Prof. Lars Sj�flot, Prof. Magne Yndestad
Statement letters (!) as annexes to the application performed by each participant country

"Competence building in the issues..."
Competence building in the issues of Food Hygiene/ Food Safety (incl. food control) in the Baltic countries
Form a basic network between the governments, institutions and key-persons responsible for the education/ research, regulation and food control in the Baltic countries with direct network links to professional expertise in the Nordic countries

Institutions and responsible persons
and the Work Group in the Network
Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences (NVH)
Prof. Magne Yndestad; Prof. Yngvild Wasteson (?)
Agricultural University of Norway, Noragric
Prof. Lars Sj�flot (?); ..
The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, KVL
Prof. John Elmerdahl Olsen; ..
University of Helsinki (HU)
Prof. Hannu Korkeala; Riikka Laukkanen
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Prof. Marie Louise Danielsson-Tham (?)
Estonian Agricultural University (EAU)
Mati Roasto; Katrin Laikoja (?)
Lithuanian Veterinary Academy (LVA)
Prof. Grazina Januskeviciene; Mindaugas Malakauskas, Loreta Serniene
Latvia University of Agriculture (LUA)
Prof. Edgars Liepi��; Aivars B�rzi��
Other institutions in the future�???

Main activities:
Meeting in Helsinki in January, 2001 (application)
Establishing of the network contacts (since January, 2001)
First Network Workshop in J�rmala, Latvia, (November, 2001)
35 participants from Norway, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia
Meeting and establishing contacts
Training course �Food microbiology and principles of PCR diagnostics� Helsinki, Finland
12 participants (4 from each Baltic country and teachers from Nordic)
Instructors from University of Helsinki

Main activities:
�Food Safety Network Meeting� Tartu, Estonia March, 2003- as first NOVA and BOVA activity in the Network:
Participants from Estonia, Lithuania and Finland
NOVA and BOVA Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania October, 2003
Coming activities:
Training (research) course �Molecular typing methods in food microbiology and evaluation of the microbiological quality of water� Helsinki, Finland (19- 23.01.04)
~12 ordinary participants
Instructors from Norway and Finland
Regional courses in the Baltic countries (under planning)
Instructors from Baltic and Nordic countries
Network meetings (1 x a year)

Finances of the Network
Mostly financial resources used in the Network coming from Nordic Grant Scheme for Network cooperation with Baltic Countries and Northwest Russia
In the future �
Nordplus Neighbour (NCM)
The Norwegian billions:
Poland 927 mill NOK
Lithuania 112
Latvia 89
Estonia 54