The responsibilities and tasks of EU reference laboratories in the animal health sector are listed in the Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of 15^th. March 2017. Within the context of its reference activities, and in accordance with the Commission, the EU RL is in charge of:

• Contributing to the improvement and harmonisation of methods of analysis, test or diagnosis to be used by official laboratories in the European Union;
• Providing National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) with details and guidance on the methods of laboratory analysis, testing or diagnosis, including reference methods and providing them with reference materials;
• Coordinating the application of the methods by the NRLs, in particular by organising regular inter-laboratory comparative testing or proficiency tests and by ensuring appropriate follow-up of such comparative testing or proficiency tests;
• Coordinating practical arrangements necessary to apply new methods of laboratory analysis, testing or diagnosis, and informing national reference laboratories of advances in this field;
• Conducting training courses for staff from NRLs, official laboratories or experts from third countries;
• Providing technical and scientific assistance to the NRLs and the European Commission;
• Providing information on relevant national, Union and international research activities to the NRLs;
• Collaborating within the scope of the EU RL mission with laboratories in Third Countries and with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC);
• Assisting actively in the diagnosis of outbreaks in Member States of bee diseases or pests, by carrying out confirmatory diagnosis, characterisation and taxonomic or epizootic studies on pathogen isolates or pest specimens;
• Coordinating or performing tests for the verification of the quality of reagents and lots of reagents used for the diagnosis of bee diseases;
• Cooperating with the Commission to develop methods of analysis, testing or diagnosis of high standards

The Commission Regulation (EU) No 415/2013 of 6^th May 2013 lays down additional responsibilities and tasks for the European Union Reference Laboratory (EU RL) for Bee Health.

Diseases on which the EU RL works are listed in the EU Regulation 2018/1882 and in accordance with the Animal Health Law (EU Regulation 2016/429):

• Infestation with Varroa spp. (Varroosis)
• Infestation with Aethina tumida (Small hive beetle)
• American foulbrood
• Infestation with Tropilaelaps spp.

Reference mandates assigned to Anses