Responsibilities and tasks of European Union reference centres for animal welfare
Article 96
The European Union reference centres for animal welfare shall be responsible for the following supporting tasks insofar as they are included in the reference centres’ annual or multiannual work programmes that have been established in conformity with the objectives and priorities of the relevant work programmes adopted by the Commission in accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EU) No 652/2014: (a) providing scientific and technical expertise within the scope of their mission including, where appropriate in the form of coordinated assistance, to relevant national support networks and bodies in the area governed by the rules referred to in point (f) of Article 1(2); (b) providing scientific and technical expertise for the development and application of the animal welfare indicators referred to in point (e) of Article 21(8); (c) developing or coordinating the development of methods for the assessment of the level of welfare of animals and of methods for the improvement of the welfare of animals; (d) carrying out scientific and technical studies on the welfare of animals used for commercial or scientific purposes; (e) conducting training courses for staff of the national scientific support networks or bodies referred to in point (a), for staff of the competent authorities and for experts from third countries; and (f) disseminating research findings and technical innovations and collaborating with Union research bodies in the fields within the scope of their mission.