# Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation) (Text with EEA relevance), Article 95: Designation of national reference centres for animal welfare

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

1. The appropriate authority must make regulations designating national reference centres for animal welfare to support activities in relation to the application of the rules referred to in point (f) of Article 1(2).
2. The designations provided for in paragraph 1 shall:
(a) follow a public selection process; and
(b) be limited in time or reviewed regularly.
3. National reference centres for animal welfare shall:
(a) act impartially as regards the exercise of their tasks as national reference centres;
(b) possess a high level of scientific and technical expertise in human-animal relationship, animal behaviour, animal physiology, animal genetics, animal health and nutrition related to animal welfare, and animal welfare aspects related to the commercial and scientific use of animals;
(c) have suitably qualified staff with adequate training in the areas referred to in point (b) and in ethical issues related to animals and support staff as appropriate;
(d) possess, or have access to, the infrastructure, the equipment and products necessary to carry out the tasks assigned to them; and
(e) ensure that their staff have good knowledge of international standards and practices in the areas referred to in point (b) and that the latest developments in research at national... and international level, including studies performed and actions undertaken by other ... reference centres for animal welfare, in those areas are taken into account in their work.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2017/625/article/95 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2017-625/article-95
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.