THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules, and in particular Article 32(5) and (6) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 lays down the general tasks, duties and requirements for European Union (EU) reference laboratories for food and feed and for animal health. The EU reference laboratories for animal health and live animals are listed in Part II of Annex VII to that Regulation.
(2)
An EU reference laboratory for peste des petits ruminants does not yet exist. EU reference laboratories should cover the areas of feed and food law and animal health where precise analytical and diagnostic results are needed. The outbreaks of peste des petits ruminants call for precise analytical and diagnostic results.
(3)
On 30 June 2016 the Commission launched a call for applications to select and designate an EU reference laboratory for peste des petits ruminants. The selected laboratory ‘Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD)’ should be designated as EU reference laboratory for peste des petits ruminants.
(4)
In addition to the general functions and duties laid down in Article 32(2) of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, the selected laboratory should be assigned certain specific tasks and responsibilities. These concern in particular the liaison between the national reference laboratories of the Member States, to support their functions and to provide optimal methods for the diagnosis of peste des petits ruminants.
(5)
Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: