Council Decision on reference laboratories for the monitoring of marine biotoxins
National reference laboratories in each of the Member States for the monitoring of marine biotoxins are designated by a Council Decision of 14.6.1993 (Decision 93/383/EEC). Each national reference laboratory shall be responsible for coordinating the activities of the national laboratories responsible for the analysis of marine biotoxins, assisting the competent authority in the Member State to organize the monitoring system, organizing comparative tests between the various national laboratories, and ensuring that the information supplied by the Community reference laboratory is disseminated to the competent authority in each Member State and to the national laboratories. The Community reference laboratory shall be responsible for supplying information on analytical methods to the national reference laboratories, coordinating the application of these methods, coordinating the development of new analytical methods and informing the national reference laboratories of progress in this area, organizing training and advanced courses for the staff of the national laboratories, collaborating with the laboratories responsible for analysis in third countries, and providing scientific and technical assistance to the Community. Monitoring of marine biotoxins is of particular importance to ensure the marketing of fisheries products and live bivalve molluscs. An Annex to the Decision lists the designated national reference laboratories and the Community reference laboratory (Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Viga).