{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2017-625/article-97",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2017-625/article-97.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2017/625",
  "legislation_title": "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)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2017-625",
  "path": "article/97",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "97",
  "heading": "Designation of national reference centres for the authenticity and integrity of the agri-food chain",
  "text": "(1.) The competent authority may designate national reference centres to support the activities of the competent authorities in preventing, detecting and combating violations of the rules referred to in Article 1(2) perpetrated through fraudulent or deceptive practices.\n2. The designations provided for in paragraph 1 shall:\n(a) follow a public selection process; and\n(b) be limited in time or reviewed regularly.\n3. National reference centres for the authenticity and integrity of the agri-food chain shall:\n(a) act impartially as regards the exercise of their tasks as national reference centres;\n(b) possess a high level of scientific and technical expertise in the areas governed by the rules referred to in Article 1(2) and in applied forensic science in those areas, in order to have the ability to carry out or coordinate research at the highest level on the authenticity and integrity of goods and to develop, apply and validate the methods to be used for the detection of violations of the rules referred to in Article 1(2) perpetrated through fraudulent or deceptive practices;\n(c) have suitably qualified staff with adequate training in the areas referred to in point (b) and the necessary support staff;\n(d) possess, or have access to, the infrastructure, the equipment and the products necessary to carry out the tasks assigned to them; and\n(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 research developments at national ... and international level in those areas are taken into account in their work.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Art. 97(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 18(5)(a) (with reg. 46)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in Art. 97(3) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 18(5)(b)(i) (with reg. 46)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Word in Art. 97(3)(a) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 18(5)(b)(ii) (with reg. 46)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in Art. 97(3)(e) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 18(5)(b)(iii) (with reg. 46)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Word in arts. 95-98 heading substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 18(2) (with reg. 46)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2017/625/article/97",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:45:04.117110+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}