Plant Health EURLs Meeting of the Directors of EURLs - Animal Health, Food and Feed Safety Brussels, 1 December 2017
Legal basis Tasks Specificities Options Indicative planning
EURLs Plant Health Legal Basis (1) Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on Official Controls adopted on 15 March 2017 Article 92 Establishment of a European Union reference laboratory Delegated Act (in progress). Article 93 The designation of the individual EURLs by an Implementing Act
EURLs Plant Health Legal Basis (2) Article 92: Establishment of a European Union reference laboratory-> the need? Effectiveness of OC also depends on quality, uniformity, reliability of : Methods of analysis, test or diagnosis Results, tests and diagnoses Recognised need to promote uniform practices
Tasks of EURLs for Plant Health (1) Provide NRLs with: (a) Details & guidance (b) Reference materials Coordinate NRLs (+other official labs) for: (c) Application of methods (c) Comparative Test or Proficiency Test Follow-up Inform Commission and MS (d) Practical arrangements and advances
Tasks of EURLs for Plant Health (2) (e) Trainings (f) Scientific and technical assistance to the Commission (g) Information of NRLs about relevant national, UE and international research activities (h) Collaboration with 3d countries labs, EFSA, EMA and ECDC (i) Assistance in outbreak : diagnoses, characterisation and studies of the pests
Tasks of EURLs for Plant Health (3) (j) Tests of reagents (k) Where relevant : reference collections of: Pests Materials Substances and reagents (l) Enhance collaboration
Specificities of EURLs for Plant Health (1) Over 250 pests Directive 2000/29/EC Relisted in Regulation (EU) No 2016/2031 Pests grouped as follows: Insects, mites and nematodes Bacteria and phytoplasmas Fungi Viruses and viroids
Specificities of EURLs for Plant Health (2) Often very different substrates (hosts) for the same pest Diverse diagnostic methods Conventional (Morphological, microscopy) Immunological (e.g. Elisa, IF) Molecular (e.g. PCR, RealTime PCR, LAMP, sequencing, NGS) Combination of the above Validated diagnostic protocols not available for all pests
Options for establishment Three open options presented and discussed at the Expert group meeting of 29 May 2017.
Option 1 – "the harmful organism approach" As in the annexes of Directive 2000/29/EC Insects, mites and nematodes Bacteria and phytoplasmas Fungi Viruses and viroids
Option 2 – "the commodity approach" Agricultural crops Fruits and Vegetables Forest trees Ornamentals …
Option 3 – "the combined approach" a) Agricultural crops b) Fruits and Vegetables c) Forest trees d) Ornamentals I. Insects, mites and nematodes II. Bacteria (and phytoplasmas) III. Fungi IV. Viruses (and viroids)
Discussion – main points Options 1 and 3 preferred. Suggestion to separate nematodes from insects and phytoplasmas from bacteria. Suggestion to split the insect group into subgroups: large and diverse. Matrix effect: woody/non-woody … (documents available on https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/official_controls/expert_working_groups_en)
Indicative planning DA First Expert Group meeting (29 May 2017) Internal Commission procedures (July-01 December 2017) Second Expert Group meeting (15 December 2017) Stakeholder consultation (December 2017) Adoption of Commission Decision (February 2018) Entry into force following two-months period for EP/Council to check (April 2018)
Thank you for your attention