Nimetamine

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

Rita.FIGUEIRA1@ec.europa.eu

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY

Public Health, Cancer and Health security

The Director

Luxembourg SANTE.B.2/RF/mo (2025)5888046

NOTE FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MEMBER

STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Subject: Member State competent authorities in the scope of the call for

applications for an EU reference laboratory on respiratory viruses

(Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371)

According to Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to

health, the European Commission is empowered to designate EU reference laboratories

(EURLs) for public health “to provide support to national reference laboratories to

promote good practice and alignment by Member States on a voluntary basis on

diagnostics, testing methods, use of certain tests for the uniform surveillance, notification

and reporting of diseases by Member States”.

To date, the Commission has designated nine EURLs for public health (1).

On 2 October 2023, the first calls for applications for EURLs were published by the

Commission (2). Laboratories in EU/EEA countries were invited to submit applications to

be designated as EURLs in one of six areas of public health. As part of their application,

national laboratories had to seek endorsement by a national competent authority. The

competent authorities endorsing applicants were asked to confirm that each candidate

laboratory met the eligibility criteria of the call. Importantly, this included the confirmation

that they already played an active role in the national public health microbiology system.

A second set of calls for applications to designate further EURLs in the field of food- and

water-borne diseases was launched on 30 April 2024 (3). To streamline the application

process and as a result of feedback received from the Member States, each EU/EEA

country was asked to formally nominate one national competent authority in public health

before the second set of calls for application were launched. Only that authority was

responsible for the endorsement of national applicants. This information was made public

(1) https://health.ec.europa.eu/health-security-and-infectious-diseases/surveillance-and-early-warning/eu-

reference-laboratories-public-health_en

(2) https://health.ec.europa.eu/consultations/eu-reference-laboratories-public-health-2023-calls-

applications_en

(3) https://health.ec.europa.eu/consultations/eu-reference-laboratories-public-health-2024-calls-

applications_en

2

in the calls and applicants were invited to contact the nominated authority via pre-defined

contact channels.

The Commission is currently working on the next call for applications to designate a EURL

for respiratory viruses, which is expected to be launched by the end of May 2025.

Competent public health authorities will again be asked to endorse national laboratories

wishing to apply. Similarly to the previous call, we will provide the list of nominated

national competent authorities responsible for the endorsement of national applicants

within the call for applications. To this end, we ask countries to review the contact

information of their nominated national competent authorities.

The current list of nominated national competent authorities can be found here:

https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/a0d90025-720d-44ca-b181-

ef0fb88c22e0_en.

Only in the case that the current contact information is no longer valid, we ask the

countries to provide the following updated information:

- name of national competent authority, to be transmitted to the applicants;

- contact information (mailbox email address and general telephone number), to be

transmitted to the applicants;

- name of responsible person(s), for correspondence with the Commission.

In case you prefer to submit a personal email address and phone number for

public dissemination to the applicants, we require a clear authorisation that this

information can be used for this purpose, for reasons of GDPR.

We would be grateful to receive any required updates to the contact information via e-mail

(SANTE-CONSULT-B2@ec.europa.eu) by 31 May 2025.

Antonio PARENTI

c.c.: KEYS Rosalyn (SANTE.B), KELLER Ingrid (SANTE.B.2), FIGUEIRA

Rita (SANTE.B.2), OBERLECHNER Martine (SANTE.B.2)

Electronically signed on 21/05/2025 08:37 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

Rita.FIGUEIRA1@ec.europa.eu

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY

Public Health, Cancer and Health security

The Director

Luxembourg SANTE.B.2/RF/mo (2025)5888046

NOTE FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MEMBER

STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Subject: Member State competent authorities in the scope of the call for

applications for an EU reference laboratory on respiratory viruses

(Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371)

According to Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to

health, the European Commission is empowered to designate EU reference laboratories

(EURLs) for public health “to provide support to national reference laboratories to

promote good practice and alignment by Member States on a voluntary basis on

diagnostics, testing methods, use of certain tests for the uniform surveillance, notification

and reporting of diseases by Member States”.

To date, the Commission has designated nine EURLs for public health (1).

On 2 October 2023, the first calls for applications for EURLs were published by the

Commission (2). Laboratories in EU/EEA countries were invited to submit applications to

be designated as EURLs in one of six areas of public health. As part of their application,

national laboratories had to seek endorsement by a national competent authority. The

competent authorities endorsing applicants were asked to confirm that each candidate

laboratory met the eligibility criteria of the call. Importantly, this included the confirmation

that they already played an active role in the national public health microbiology system.

A second set of calls for applications to designate further EURLs in the field of food- and

water-borne diseases was launched on 30 April 2024 (3). To streamline the application

process and as a result of feedback received from the Member States, each EU/EEA

country was asked to formally nominate one national competent authority in public health

before the second set of calls for application were launched. Only that authority was

responsible for the endorsement of national applicants. This information was made public

(1) https://health.ec.europa.eu/health-security-and-infectious-diseases/surveillance-and-early-warning/eu-

reference-laboratories-public-health_en

(2) https://health.ec.europa.eu/consultations/eu-reference-laboratories-public-health-2023-calls-

applications_en

(3) https://health.ec.europa.eu/consultations/eu-reference-laboratories-public-health-2024-calls-

applications_en

2

in the calls and applicants were invited to contact the nominated authority via pre-defined

contact channels.

The Commission is currently working on the next call for applications to designate a EURL

for respiratory viruses, which is expected to be launched by the end of May 2025.

Competent public health authorities will again be asked to endorse national laboratories

wishing to apply. Similarly to the previous call, we will provide the list of nominated

national competent authorities responsible for the endorsement of national applicants

within the call for applications. To this end, we ask countries to review the contact

information of their nominated national competent authorities.

The current list of nominated national competent authorities can be found here:

https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/a0d90025-720d-44ca-b181-

ef0fb88c22e0_en.

Only in the case that the current contact information is no longer valid, we ask the

countries to provide the following updated information:

- name of national competent authority, to be transmitted to the applicants;

- contact information (mailbox email address and general telephone number), to be

transmitted to the applicants;

- name of responsible person(s), for correspondence with the Commission.

In case you prefer to submit a personal email address and phone number for

public dissemination to the applicants, we require a clear authorisation that this

information can be used for this purpose, for reasons of GDPR.

We would be grateful to receive any required updates to the contact information via e-mail

(SANTE-CONSULT-B2@ec.europa.eu) by 31 May 2025.

Antonio PARENTI

c.c.: KEYS Rosalyn (SANTE.B), KELLER Ingrid (SANTE.B.2), FIGUEIRA

Rita (SANTE.B.2), OBERLECHNER Martine (SANTE.B.2)

Electronically signed on 21/05/2025 08:37 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

Rita.FIGUEIRA1@ec.europa.eu

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY

Public Health, Cancer and Health security

The Director

Luxembourg SANTE.B.2/RF/mo (2025)5888046

NOTE FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MEMBER

STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Subject: Member State competent authorities in the scope of the call for

applications for an EU reference laboratory on respiratory viruses

(Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371)

According to Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to

health, the European Commission is empowered to designate EU reference laboratories

(EURLs) for public health “to provide support to national reference laboratories to

promote good practice and alignment by Member States on a voluntary basis on

diagnostics, testing methods, use of certain tests for the uniform surveillance, notification

and reporting of diseases by Member States”.

To date, the Commission has designated nine EURLs for public health (1).

On 2 October 2023, the first calls for applications for EURLs were published by the

Commission (2). Laboratories in EU/EEA countries were invited to submit applications to

be designated as EURLs in one of six areas of public health. As part of their application,

national laboratories had to seek endorsement by a national competent authority. The

competent authorities endorsing applicants were asked to confirm that each candidate

laboratory met the eligibility criteria of the call. Importantly, this included the confirmation

that they already played an active role in the national public health microbiology system.

A second set of calls for applications to designate further EURLs in the field of food- and

water-borne diseases was launched on 30 April 2024 (3). To streamline the application

process and as a result of feedback received from the Member States, each EU/EEA

country was asked to formally nominate one national competent authority in public health

before the second set of calls for application were launched. Only that authority was

responsible for the endorsement of national applicants. This information was made public

(1) https://health.ec.europa.eu/health-security-and-infectious-diseases/surveillance-and-early-warning/eu-

reference-laboratories-public-health_en

(2) https://health.ec.europa.eu/consultations/eu-reference-laboratories-public-health-2023-calls-

applications_en

(3) https://health.ec.europa.eu/consultations/eu-reference-laboratories-public-health-2024-calls-

applications_en

2

in the calls and applicants were invited to contact the nominated authority via pre-defined

contact channels.

The Commission is currently working on the next call for applications to designate a EURL

for respiratory viruses, which is expected to be launched by the end of May 2025.

Competent public health authorities will again be asked to endorse national laboratories

wishing to apply. Similarly to the previous call, we will provide the list of nominated

national competent authorities responsible for the endorsement of national applicants

within the call for applications. To this end, we ask countries to review the contact

information of their nominated national competent authorities.

The current list of nominated national competent authorities can be found here:

https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/a0d90025-720d-44ca-b181-

ef0fb88c22e0_en.

Only in the case that the current contact information is no longer valid, we ask the

countries to provide the following updated information:

- name of national competent authority, to be transmitted to the applicants;

- contact information (mailbox email address and general telephone number), to be

transmitted to the applicants;

- name of responsible person(s), for correspondence with the Commission.

In case you prefer to submit a personal email address and phone number for

public dissemination to the applicants, we require a clear authorisation that this

information can be used for this purpose, for reasons of GDPR.

We would be grateful to receive any required updates to the contact information via e-mail

(SANTE-CONSULT-B2@ec.europa.eu) by 31 May 2025.

Antonio PARENTI

c.c.: KEYS Rosalyn (SANTE.B), KELLER Ingrid (SANTE.B.2), FIGUEIRA

Rita (SANTE.B.2), OBERLECHNER Martine (SANTE.B.2)

Electronically signed on 21/05/2025 08:37 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121