THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Decision 2000/258/EC of 20 March 2000 designating a specific institute responsible for establishing the criteria necessary for standardising the serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of rabies vaccines, and in particular Article 3(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Decision 2000/258/EC designates the Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des aliments (AFSSA) in Nancy, France, as the specific institute responsible for establishing the criteria necessary for standardising the serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of rabies vaccines. The AFSSA has now been integrated into the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES) in France.
(2)
Decision 2000/258/EC provides, inter alia, that the ANSES is to appraise laboratories in third countries that have applied for approval to carry out serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of rabies vaccines.
(3)
The competent authority of Egypt has submitted an application for the approval of the Animal Health Research Institute in Giza, and the ANSES has established and submitted to the Commission a favourable appraisal report dated 29 September 2015 for this laboratory.
(4)
The competent authority of the United Arab Emirates has submitted an application for the approval of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, and the ANSES has established and submitted to the Commission a favourable appraisal report dated 29 September 2015 for this laboratory.
(5)
The competent authority of the United States has submitted an application for the approval of the Atlanta Health Associates Rabies Laboratory in Cumming, the Virology Laboratory of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in Auburn and the Rabies Laboratory of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (‘the US laboratories’), and the ANSES has established and submitted to the Commission a favourable appraisal report dated 29 September 2015 for the US laboratories.
(6)
The Animal Health Research Institute in Giza, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai and the US laboratories should therefore be authorised to carry out serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of rabies vaccines in dogs, cats and ferrets.
(7)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: