Foodlaw-Reading
Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Council Minutes, 29 January 2018
The following is an extract from the minutes of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on the 29 January 2018.
African horse sickness
The Council decided not to oppose the adoption of a Commission regulation laying down additional responsibilities and tasks for the EU reference laboratory for African horse sickness and amending Annex II to Council Directive 92/35/EEC, Annex II to Council Directive 2000/75/EC and Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (15524/17 + ADD 1).
As a consequence of the United Kingdom's notification in accordance with Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, the AFRC Institute for Animal Health in Pirbright will have to discontinue its function as the European Union reference laboratory for bluetongue.
In view of the synergies in technical expertise, laboratory capacity and networking with national reference laboratories arising from the genetic and epidemiological relatedness of African horse sickness and bluetongue, the new Commission regulation decided that the current EU reference laboratory for African horse sickness (Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria - Área de Sanidad Animal, Madrid, Spain of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain) should also assume the responsibilities of the European Union reference laboratory for bluetongue.
Fish and crustacean diseases
The Council decided not to oppose the adoption of a Commission regulation laying down additional responsibilities and tasks for the EU reference laboratory for fish and crustacean diseases and amending Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (15525/17).
As a consequence of the United Kingdom's notification in accordance with Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, the function of Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science in Weymouth, United Kingdom) as EU reference laboratory for crustacean diseases cannot be continued for a further period starting on 1 July 2018.
In view of the synergies in technical expertise, laboratory capacity and networking with national reference laboratories, the new Commission regulation decided that the current EU reference laboratory for fish diseases (Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Veterinærinstituttet Afdeling for Diagnostik og Beredskab - Fiskesygdomme, in Lyngby, Danmark) should also take over the tasks and functions of the EU reference laboratory for crustacean diseases from 2018 to 2023.
