The Official Journal of the European Union publishes on 2 December the Commission Decision of 1 December 2010 regarding the financial contribution granted by the European Union for the year 2011 to certain European Union reference laboratories in the feed and food control area. Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish reference laboratories will be supported with this financial contribution.

According to Council Decision 2009/470/EC of 25 May 2009 on expenditure in the veterinary field, some European Union reference laboratories in the food and feed control area may be granted a Union financial contribution. In order to receive such financial contribution from the Union their work programmes have to be presented to the Commission, which will ensure that they are efficiently carried out and that the beneficiaries supply all the necessary information within certain time limits.

This Commission Decision by which support is granted to the activities of European reference laboratories in feed and food control area, together with Commission Decision on financial aid from the Union for certain EU reference laboratories in the field of animal health and live animals, is part of the financial support package of about 250 million Euro agreed by the European Union in October 2010 to combat animal diseases and protect human and animal health.

List of Reference Laboratories in the feed and food control area beneficiaries of financial contributions for 2011

• For milk and milk products: Laboratoire d’études et de recherches sur la qualité des aliments et sur les procédés agroalimentaires (Lerqap), of the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (Anses), France.
• For the analysis and testing of zoonoses (salmonella): Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM), The Netherlands.
• For the monitoring of marine biotoxins: Laboratorio de Bio- toxinas Marinas, Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Ministerio de Sanidad y Política Social), Spain.
• For monitoring the viral and bacteriological contamination of bivalve molluscs: Laboratory of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), United Kingdom.
• For Listeria monocytogenes: Laboratoire d’Etudes et de Recherches sur la Qualité des Aliments et sur les Procédés Agro-alimentaires (Lerqap), of the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (Anses), France.
• For coagulase positive Staphylococci, including Staphylococcus aureus: Laboratoire d’études et de recherches sur la qualité des aliments et sur les procédés agro-alimentaires (Lerqap), of the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (Anses), France.
• For Escherichia coli, including Verotoxigenic E. Coli (VTEC): Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Italy.
• For Campylobacter: Statens Veterinärmedicinska Anstalt (SVA), Sweden.
• For parasites (in particular Trichinella, Echinococcus and Anisakis): Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Italy.
• For antimicrobial resistance: Fødevareinstituttet, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU), Denmark.
• For transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs): Veterinary Laboratories Agency, United Kingdom
• For animal proteins in feedingstuffs: Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques (CRA-W), Belgium.
• For residues: Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM), The Netherlands; Laboratoire d’études et de recherches sur les médicaments vétérinaires et les désinfectants de L’Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (Anses), France; Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Le- bensmittelsicherheit, Germany; and Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Italy.
• For the analysis and testing of residues of pesticides in food of animal origin: Chemisches und Veterinäruntersu- chungsamt (CVUA), Germany.
• For the analysis and testing of residues of pesticides in cereals: Fødevareinstituttet, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU), Denmark.
• For the analysis and testing of residues of pesticides in fruits and vegetables: Laboratorio Agrario de la Generalitat Valenciana (LAGV)/Grupo de Residuos de Plaguicidas de la Universidad de Almería (PRRG), Spain.
• For the analysis and testing of residues of pesticides by single residue methods: Chemisches und Veterinäruntersu- chungsamt (CVUA), Germany.
• For the analysis and testing of dioxins and PCBs in feed and food: Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA), Germany.