Division 2 The functions and duties of the Community Reference Laboratory for African swine fever are:

to coordinate, in consultation with the Commission, the methods employed in the Member States for diagnosing African swine fever, specifically by:

• storing and supplying cell cultures for use in diagnosis,

• typing, storing and supplying strains of African swine fever virus for serological tests and the preparation of anti-sera,

• supplying standardised sera, conjugate sera and other reference reagents to the national laboratories in order to standardise the tests and reagents employed in the Member States,

• building up and holding an African swine fever virus collection,

• organising periodic comparative tests of diagnostic procedures at Community level,

• collecting and collating data and information on the methods of diagnosis used and the results of tests carried out,

• characterising isolates of the virus by the most up-to-date methods available to allow greater understanding of the epizootiology of African swine fever,

• keeping abreast of developments in African swine fever surveillance, epizootiology and prevention throughout the world,

• retaining expertise on the virus causing African swine fever and other pertinent viruses to enable rapid differential diagnosis;

to make the necessary arrangements for training or re-training experts in laboratory diagnosis with a view to harmonising diagnostic techniques;

to have trained personnel available for emergency situations occurring within the Community;

to perform research activities and whenever possible coordinate research activities directed towards an improved control of African swine fever;

to draw up technical protocols relating to procedures to verify the efficacy of disinfectants against the African swine virus.