Background
Between 2004 and 2006 the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health
and Consumers (DG SANCO) appointed 40 Community reference laboratories (CRL).
These CRLs, together with the national reference laboratories, lead the
harmonisation efforts across the EU for analytical methodology within a given
field. The CRLs cover three main areas: feed and food law, animal health and
animal welfare rules. While each topic is specific, CRLs do face a number of
common issues.
Download the
announcement[116Kb] and the
agenda[26Kb].
Scope
The scientific forum is being arranged by the European Commission’s Joint
Research Centre to identify and address topics of common interest, including
new challenges. It will give the leaders of CRLs the opportunity to share
experiences and exchange views, with each other as well as with
representatives of the Commission. The expected outcome will be to identify
which approaches are used, which general problems the CRLs face in the
scientific part of their work, as well as priorities for the future.
Particular emphasis will be placed on the organisation of proficiency tests,
with examples from different types of CRLs.
Confirmed speakers include P. Gowik (CRL for residues of veterinary
medicines); V. Baeten (CRL for animal proteins in feedingstuffs); A.
Fernandez-Alba (CRL for pesticides in fruits and vegetables); F. Aarestrup
(CRL for antimicrobial resistance) and K. Mooijman (CRL for salmonella).
The forum’s structure will consist of presentations as well as group
discussions. The official language of the forum will be English. A summary
report will be distributed to the participants after the forum.
The scientific forum will be held in conjunction with a brief administrative
session organised by DG SANCO on 10 February 2010.
Registration
Invitations will be sent out during the autumn of 2009. Registration will be
via the JRC Events
Registration (registration opens 27 November 2009). There is no
participation fee.
Forum Structure
9 February 2010
12:00 – 14:00 Registration and lunch
14:00 – 15:30 1st Session
15:30 - 15:45 Coffee break
15:45 –17:30 2nd Session
19:00 Dinner
10 February 2010
08:30 – 10:00 3rd Session
10:00 – 10:30 Coffee break
10:30 –12:00 4th Session
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 -15:00 Discussion and Conclusion
15:00 – 15:30 Update from DG SANCO
To make the best use of the time during the scientific forum, a questionnaire
will be sent out to the participants, to be returned before the event.
The detailed agenda providing the exact titles of the presentations will be
sent out in advance of the scientific forum
When and Where
Joint Research Centre
Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements
Retieseweg 111
B-2440 Geel – Belgium
9-10 February 2010
Accommodation and travel
It has been arranged with DG SANCO that travel (economy class flight or
equivalent), hotel costs and meals may be claimed within the individual CRLs’
mission budget. The JRC-IRMM will reserve a number of hotel rooms. IRMM will
arrange transfer between the airport, the institute, and the hotel.
Further details will be announced on this web site.