2004/564/EC: Commission Decision of 20 July 2004 concerning Community reference laboratories for the epidemiology of zoonoses and for salmonella and national reference laboratories for salmonella (notified under document number C(2004) 2781)(Text with EEA relevance)

• Articles: 7

Article 1

The Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, Berlin, Germany, is designated as the Community reference laboratory for the epidemiology of zoonoses until 31 December 2004.

Article 2

1.   The Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, Bilthoven, Netherlands, is designated as the Community reference laboratory for salmonella until 31 December 2005.

2.   The responsibilities and tasks of the Community reference laboratory referred to in paragraph 1 are laid down in Annex I. They shall apply with regard to areas other than live poultry as from 1 January 2005.

Article 3

The responsibilities and tasks of the national reference laboratories for salmonella are laid down in Annex II. They shall apply with regard to areas other than live poultry as from 1 January 2005.

Article 4

This Decision shall apply from 12 June 2004.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX I

ANNEX I

Responsibilities and tasks of the Community reference laboratory for salmonella, pursuant to Directive 2003/99/EC and Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003

1.

Areas of competence

(a)

Identification and development of bacteriological methods for the detection and as appropriate quantification of zoonotic salmonella in livestock, feed and food, as well as in environmental samples.

(b)

Subtyping of zoonotic salmonella, in particular serotyping, and other subtyping, including with phenotypic and genetic methods.

(c)

Anti-microbial susceptibility testing on isolates of zoonotic salmonella.

(d)

Identification and development of immunological methods for zoonotic salmonella.

(e)

Identification and development of sampling methods.

2.

General functions and duties

(a)

To provide national reference laboratories with details of analytical methods, including reference methods.

(b)

To coordinate the application by the national reference laboratories of the methods referred to in (a), in particular by organising comparative testing and by ensuring an appropriate follow-up of such comparative testing in accordance with internationally accepted protocols, when available.

(c)

To coordinate, within their area of competence, practical arrangements needed to apply new analytical methods and informing national reference laboratories of advances in this field.

(d)

To conduct initial and further training courses for the benefit of staff from national reference laboratories and of experts from developing countries.

(e)

To provide scientific and technical assistance to the Commission, especially in cases where Member States contest the results of analyses.

(f)

To collaborate with laboratories with the same area of competence in third countries.

3.

Specific functions and duties

(a)

To provide technical assistance to the Commission in the organisation of monitoring schemes for salmonella and related anti-microbial resistance pursuant to in particular Articles 4, 5 and 7 of Directive 2003/99/EC.

(b)

To provide technical assistance to the Commission in the framework of the setting of Community targets pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003.

(c)

To advise the Commission on aspects related to salmonella vaccine strains and other specific control methods, as appropriate.

(d)

To provide technical assistance to the Commission and as appropriate, to participate in international forums relating to the areas of competence identified in point 1 above, concerning, in particular, the standardisation of analytical methods and their implementation.

(e)

To gather data and information on the activities developed and methods used in national reference laboratories and to inform the Commission thereof.

(f)

To keep abreast of developments in salmonella epidemiology.

(g)

To cooperate, as appropriate, with the Community structures involved in surveillance of salmonella, in particular with the network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community, as established under Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council  ( 1 ) , including relevant dedicated surveillance networks.

4.

The Community reference laboratory shall implement a quality assurance system and shall be accredited in accordance with standard EN ISO/IEC 17025 at the latest by 12 December 2005.

( 1 )

OJ L 268, 3.10.1998, p. 1 . Decision as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1992/2003 ( OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1 ).

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

Responsibilities and tasks of the national reference laboratories for salmonella, pursuant to Directive 2003/99/EC and Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003

1.   General duties

(a)

To collaborate with the Community reference laboratory in their area of competence.

(b)

To coordinate, as appropriate, the activities of laboratories responsible for the analysis of samples in accordance with, in particular, Articles 4, 5 and 7 of Directive 2003/99/EC.

(c)

To coordinate the activities of laboratories responsible for the analysis of samples in accordance with Article 12(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003/EC.

(d)

Where appropriate, to organise comparative tests between the laboratories referred to under (b) and (c) and to assure an appropriate follow-up of such comparative testing.

(e)

To ensure the dissemination to the competent authority and to the laboratories referred to under (b) and (c), of the information that the Community reference laboratory supplies.

(f)

To provide scientific and technical assistance to their national competent authority in their area of competence.

2.   Specific functions and duties

(a)

To participate, as appropriate in the monitoring schemes for salmonella and related anti-microbial resistance pursuant to Directive 2003/99/EC and in the analysis and testing of salmonella pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003.

(b)

To conduct, as appropriate, training courses for the benefit of staff from relevant laboratories.

(c)

To inform, as appropriate, the Community reference laboratory on aspects related to salmonella vaccine strains and other specific control methods.

(d)

To gather data and information on the activities developed and methods used in relevant laboratories and to inform the Community reference laboratory thereof.

(e)

To keep abreast of developments in salmonella epidemiology.