EN Official Journal of the European Union L 33/27

COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2017/212

of 7 February 2017

designating the EU reference laboratory for peste des petits ruminants, laying down additional responsibilities and tasks for this laboratory and amending Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(Text with EEA relevance)

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 (1), 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:

Article 1

Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France is hereby designated as the Union (EU) reference laboratory for peste des petits ruminants.

The additional responsibilities and tasks for that laboratory are laid down in the Annex.

Article 2

In Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, the following point 20 is added:

‘20. EU reference laboratory for peste des petits ruminants ‘Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD)’ TA A-15/G, Campus International de Baillarguet 34398 Montpellier Cedex France’.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 7 February 2017. For the Commission The President Jean-Claude JUNCKER

(1) OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1.