The Commission has adopted an Implementing Regulation that designates three more European reference laboratories (EURLs) for public health, which will further strengthen the EU’s defences in the face of serious cross-border threats. The EURLs will bring together scientific expertise across the European Union, to improve preparedness, rapid detection and response.
The three newly designated EURLs cover the following areas:
- Food- and water-borne bacteria;
- Food-, water- and vector-borne helminths and protozoa; and
- Food- and water-borne viruses.
These EURLs will support national public health laboratories by ensuring data comparability and capacity strengthening on laboratory methods at the EU level. This includes efforts to align on diagnostics and testing for surveillance, notification and reporting of diseases. The three EURLs are designated for seven years and activities will be funded under the EU4Health programme.
Background information
The Regulation 2022/2371 on Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health introduced a legal mandate for the establishment of European reference laboratories in public health. The network of EURLs for public health will be operated and coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In March this year, the Commission adopted an Implementing Regulation that designated the first six EURLs for public health.
Useful links
