The Official Controls for Feed, Food and Animal Health and Welfare (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

Regulation (EU) No 2017/625 of the Parliament and of the Council

64.  For Article 100, substitute—

“Article 100 Designation of reference laboratories

1.   The appropriate authority must designate laboratories to act as national reference laboratories.

2.   These national reference laboratories must—

(a) cooperate internationally in their area of competence;

(b) coordinate, for their area of competence, the activities of official laboratories responsible for the analysis of samples in accordance with Articles 11 and 12 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules;

(c) where appropriate, organise comparative tests between the official national laboratories and ensure an appropriate follow-up of such comparative testing;

(d) ensure the dissemination of any information required by the competent authority;

(e) provide scientific and technical assistance to the competent authority;

(f) where necessary, conduct training courses for the staff of official laboratories;

(g) upon request by the appropriate authority, actively assist the appropriate authority 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;

(h) be responsible for carrying out other specific duties as required by the competent authority;

(i) 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.

3.   National reference laboratories must—

(a) be impartial, free from any conflict of interests, and in particular not be in a situation which may, directly or indirectly, affect the impartiality of their professional conduct as regards the exercise of their tasks as national reference laboratories;

(b) have, or have contractual access to, suitably qualified staff with adequate training in analytical, testing and diagnostic techniques in their area of competence, and support staff as appropriate;

(c) possess, or have access to, the infrastructure, equipment and products needed to carry out the tasks assigned to them;

(d) ensure that their staff and any contractually engaged staff have good knowledge of international standards and practices and that the latest developments in research at national and international level are taken into account in their work;

(e) be equipped with, or have access to, the necessary equipment to perform their tasks in emergency situations;

(f) where relevant, be equipped to comply with relevant biosecurity standards.

4.   The appropriate authority must communicate the name and address from time to time of national reference laboratories to the public.

5.   In this Article, “appropriate authority” means—

(a) in relation to England, the Secretary of State;

(b) in relation to Wales, the Welsh Ministers;

(c) in relation to Scotland, the Scottish Ministers;

(d) in relation to Northern Ireland, the Department of Health or the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.”.