1. Plant Health EURLs
Meeting of the Directors of EURLs - Animal Health, Food and Feed Safety
Brussels, 1 December 2017

2. Legal basis Tasks Specificities Options Indicative planning

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Options for establishment
Three open options presented and discussed at the Expert group meeting of 29 May 2017.

11. 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

12. Option 2 – "the commodity approach"
Agricultural crops
Fruits and Vegetables
Forest trees
Ornamentals …

13. 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)

14. 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

15. 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)

16. Thank you for your attention