COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION
of 28 March 2014
amending Decision 98/536/EC as regards the list of national reference laboratories
(notified under document C(2014) 1920)
(2014/745/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996 on measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decision 89/187/EEC and 91/664/EEC (1), and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 14(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Directive 96/23/EC lays down measures to monitor the substances and groups of residues listed in Annex I thereto.
(2)
In accordance with Article 14(1) of Directive 96/23/EC, each Member State has to designate at least one national reference laboratory, which is to be responsible for certain tasks that are laid down in that Directive. The same Article also provides that a list of such designated laboratories is to be drawn up by the Commission.
(3)
The list of national reference laboratories for the detection of residues is currently set out in the Annex to Commission Decision 98/536/EC (2).
(4)
Certain Member States have designated additional national reference laboratories or have replaced the designated laboratories with other laboratories. In addition, the contact coordinates and the groups of residues monitored by certain laboratories currently listed in the Annex to Decision 98/536/EC have changed. In the interest of clarity and consistency of Union law, it is therefore appropriate to update the list of national reference laboratories set out in the Annex to that Decision.
(5)
Decision 98/536/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The annex to Decision 98/536/EC is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 28 March 2014.