The already operational Masters, as well as the above mentioned projects, at the university level have in general a continuous training option addressed to the professionals. Nevertheless, shorter and more professionalized trainings are also necessary to ensure the best follow up of risks.

A pilot project concerning technological risks

This need for vocational trainings was felt in particular in the field of technological risks and the Agreement thus launched a pilot project of training of specialized inspectors whose missions include the following tasks:

  • Checking and promotion of the conformity of the regulated plants to the relevant environmental requirements fixed by the legislation,
  • Control of the incidences in regulated plants in order to know if complementary inspections/controls are needed for the provisions application (in particular the granting, modification or cancellation of the authorization or licence) to guarantee the respect of the law requirements.

Under the initiative of the Ministry for the Regional Planning, Water and Environment of the Kingdom of Morocco, a training course for a first Moroccan promotion of Environmental Inspectors was set up in July 2004. This initiative was implemented thanks to the support and the co-operation of the French INESC (National Institute of Civil Safety Studies) and of the REMIFOR (Draguignan, France), which carried out all the programme of interactive educational tele-training via satellite (e-learning).

Over 20 registered candidates, 19 succeeded the knowledge control tests and obtained the Environmental Inspector Diploma. This first promotion made a point of writing the first Moroccan Charter of Environmental Inspectors. It is expected that the second promotion of Inspectors will be formed before the end of the year 2006 and to evaluate the repercussions of this initiative for its possible adaptation to the needs for other Member States.

Training trainers: the school of civil protection of Kosovo

Following the request addressed in December 1999 by the Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Pristina to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Agreement implemented a program to support the creation of a Civil Protection Force through the setting up of the School of Civil Protection of Kosovo.

This program was translated in the following actions:

  • realization of the risks analysis in this area (March-April 2000) to define the principal roles to attribute to this Civil Protection Force;
  • participation in the creation of the School of Civil Protection in Kosovo allowing to transform the UCK into a civil protection system, the KPC;
  • organization of a 6 months course to train the executives of this new School;
  • production of a "Handbook” of 800 pages for the training of the teachers of the School of Civil Protection (in English and translated into Albanian).

This program was implemented in co-operation with the International Organization of Migrations (OIM) and the structure of the United Nations in Kosovo (UNMIK) and nine specialized Centres of the Agreement took part in this initiative.