Commission Regulation (EC) No 737/2008 of 28 July 2008 designating the Community reference laboratories for crustacean diseases, rabies and bovine tuberculosis, laying down additional responsibilities and tasks for the Community reference laboratories for rabies and bovine tuberculosis and amending Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council

30.7.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 201/29
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 737/2008
of 28 July 2008
designating the Community reference laboratories for crustacean diseases, rabies and bovine tuberculosis, laying down additional responsibilities and tasks for the Community reference laboratories for rabies and bovine tuberculosis and amending Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
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,
Having regard to Council Directive 2006/88/EC of 24 October 2006 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals (2), and in particular Article 55(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 lays down the general tasks, duties and requirements for Community reference laboratories for food and feed and for animal health. The Community reference laboratories for animal health and live animals are listed in Part II of Annex VII to that Regulation.
(2) Directive 2006/88/EC lays down the animal health requirements for the placing on the market, and the importation and the transit through the Community of aquaculture animals and products thereof, and certain minimum preventive and control measures for certain diseases in those animals. Pursuant to that Directive, the Community reference laboratories for aquatic animal diseases are to comply with the functions and duties laid down in Part I of Annex VI thereto.
(3) Following the completion of the selection procedure of a call for designation, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Weymouth Laboratory, United Kingdom, should be designated as the Community reference laboratory for crustacean diseases.
(4) Following the completion of the selection procedure of a call for designation, the Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages of the Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA), Nancy, France, should be designated as the Community reference laboratory for rabies.
(5) Following the completion of the selection procedure of a call for designation, the Laboratorio de Vigilancia Veterinaria (VISAVET) of the Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, should be designated as the Community reference laboratory for bovine tuberculosis.
(6) The Community reference laboratories for crustacean diseases, rabies and bovine tuberculosis should be designated for an initial period of five years from 1 July 2008 in order to enable the assessment of their performance and compliance.
(7) In addition to the general functions and duties laid down in Article 32(2) of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, certain specific responsibilities and tasks linked to the characteristics of the agents causing the disease should be carried out at Community level to ensure enhanced coordination. Therefore, these additional specific responsibilities and tasks should be laid down in the present Regulation for the Community reference laboratories for rabies and bovine tuberculosis.
(8) Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(9) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health,