Responsibilities and tasks of national reference laboratories
- National reference laboratories shall, in their area of competence:
- collaborate with the European Union reference laboratories, and participate in training courses and in inter-laboratory comparative tests organised by these laboratories;
- coordinate the activities of official laboratories designated in accordance with Article 37(1) with a view of harmonising and improving the methods of laboratory analysis, test or diagnosis and their use;
- where appropriate, organise inter-laboratory comparative testing or proficiency tests between official laboratories, ensure an appropriate follow-up of such tests and inform the competent authorities of the results of such tests and follow-up;
- ensure the dissemination to the competent authorities and official laboratories of information that the European Union reference laboratory supplies;
- provide within the scope of their mission scientific and technical assistance to the competent authorities for the implementation of MANCPs referred to in Article 109 and of coordinated control programmes adopted in accordance with Article 112;
- where relevant, validate the reagents and lots of reagents, establish and maintain up-to-date lists of available reference substances and reagents and of manufacturers and suppliers of such substances and reagents;
- where necessary, conduct training courses for the staff of official laboratories designated under Article 37(1); and
- assist actively the Member State having designated them in the diagnosis of outbreaks of foodborne, zoonotic or animal diseases or of pests of plants and in case of non-compliance of consignments, by carrying out confirmatory diagnoses, characterisation and epizootic or taxonomic studies on pathogen isolates or pest specimens.
- The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 144 to supplement this Regulation concerning the establishment of responsibilities and tasks for national reference laboratories in addition to those provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article. Such delegated acts shall be limited to ensuring coherence with any additional responsibilities and tasks adopted in accordance with Article 99(2).
Austria
Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
Institute for Veterinary Disease Control
Mödling Robert Koch-Gasse 17
A-2340 Moedling
Dr. Friedrich Schmoll
Phone +43 5055538210

Belgium
Sciensano
Veterinary Bacteriology
Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14
1050 Brussels
Dr. David Fretin
Phone +32 23790440

Bulgaria
National Diagnostic Research Veterinary Medical Institut
NRL of Animal Tuberculosis and Anthrax
Pencho Slavejkov str. 15A
Sofia 1606
Dr. Tanya Savova
Phone +359 29521277

Croatia
Croatian Veterinary Institute
Laboratory for bacterial zoonoses and molecular diagnostic of bacterial diseases
Department for bacteriology and parasitology
Savska cesta 143, p.p. 883,
10000 Zagreb
Dr. Silvio Špičić
Phone +385 16123 672

Cyprus
State Veterinary Laboratories
Animal Health Laboratory
Bacteriology - Serology Section
1417 Athalassa
Nicosia
Dr. Maria Liapi
Phone +357 22805125

Czech Republic
Denmark
Statens Serum Institut
Artillerivej 5
2300 Copenhagen S
Denmark
Dr. Øystein Angen
Phone +45 3268 3268

Estonia
Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences
Estonian University of Life Sciences
Department of Basis Veterinary Sciences and Population Medicine
Kreutzwaldi 62
Tartu 51014
Dr. Kristi Praakle
Phone +372 7313250

Finland
Finish Food Authority
Veterinary Bacteriology
Mustialankatu 3
00790 Helsinki
Dr. Tarja Pohjanvirta
tarja.pohjanvirta@ruokavirasto.fi
Phone +358 44 720 1493

France
Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES)
Unité Zoonoses Bactériennes
Laboratoire de Maisons-Alfort (Santé Animale)
23, avenue du Général de Gaulle
F-94706 Maisons-Alfort Cedex
Dr. Maria Laura Boschiroli
maria-laura.boschiroli@anses.fr
Phone +33 149771321

Germany
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI)
Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
Naumburger Str. 96a
07743 Jena
Dr. Stefanie Barth
Phone +49 36418042270

Greece
Directorate of Athens Veterinary Center
Ministry of Rural Development & Food
Directorate of Athens Veterinary Center
Department of Microbiology and Diagnostic Pathology
NRL for Bovine TB
25 Neapoleos str.
153 10 Agia Paraskevi
Dr. Ourania Karaoulani
Phone +30 2106399521

Hungary
National Food Chain Safety Office
Directorate of Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory of Bacteriology
Tàbornok 2
1143 Budapest
Dr. Szilard Janosi
Phone +36 14606327

Ireland
Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL)
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Backweston Campus
Young's Cross
Celbridge
Co. Kildare
Dr. James O’Shaughnessy
James.OShaughnessy@agriculture.gov.ie
Phone +35 316157358

Italy
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER)
Reparto Tecnologie Biologiche Applicate
Via Bianchi 9
25124 Brescia
Dr. Beatrice Boniotti
mariabeatrice.boniotti@izsler.it
Phone +39 0302290273

Latvia
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Enviroment (BIOR)
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR
Microbiology and Pathology Laboratory
Bacteriology Group
Lejupes street 3, Riga
LV-1076 Latvia
Dr. Madara Streikisa
Phone +371 67620358

Lithuania
Department National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute (NFVRAI)
Molecular Biology and GMO Section, Laboratory
Kairiukscio-10
08409 Vilnius
Dr. Simona Pileviciene
Phone +370 52780459

Luxembourg
State Laboratory of Veterinary Medicine
1, rue Louis Rech
L-3555 Dudelange
Dr. Manon Bourg
Phone +352 24782543

Malta
National Veterinary Laboratory
Agriculture and Fisheries Regulation Department
Veterinary Regulation Directorate
Abattoir Square
Albertown
Marsa MRS 1123
Dr. Susan Chircop
Phone +356 22925307

Poland
National Veterinary Research Institute
57 Partyzantow Street
24-100 Pulawy
Dr. Marec Lipiec
Phone +48 818893021

Portugal
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV, I.P.)
National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research Animal Health and Production Unit (UEISPSA)
Av. da República, Quinta do Marques
Edificio Principal, Piso 1
2780-157 Oeiras
Portugal
Dr. Ana Botelho
Phone +351 214403500 / +351 214403601

Romania
Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health (IDAH)
Bacteriology Department
Str. Dr. Staicovici, nr. 63, sector 5, cod 050557
Bucharest
Dr. Lucia Nicoleta Iordache
Phone +40 374322013

Slovakia
Veterinary and Food Institute
National Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis (M. bovis), Paratuberculosis and other Mycobacteria
Botanická 15
842 52 Bratislava
Dr. Daniela Kvietková
Phone +421 238108225

Slovenia
Veterinary Faculty University of Ljubljana (VF Ljubljana)
Institute for Microbiology and Parasitology
Gerbiceva 60, 1115 Ljubljana
Dr. Matjaz Ocepek
Phone +386 14779252

Spain
Laboratorio Central de Sanidad Animal del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
Camino del Jau s/n
18320 Santa Fe (Granada)
Dr. Agustina Perales Flores
Phone +34 958440400

Sweden
National Veterinary Institute (SVA)
Office of Quality
SE-751 89 Uppsala
Dr. Viveca Baverud
Phone +46 18674000

The Netherlands
Central Veterinary Institute (CVI)
Department of Bacteriology and Epidemiology
Wageningen Bioveterinary Research
PO Box 65
8200 AB Lelystad
Dr. Ad Koets
Phone +31 320238610
