Consequences of the "Brexit" - Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut takes over reference tasks of animal disease diagnostics for Northern Ireland : FLI Press release 01/2021

Riems Island, 04 January 2021. In the course of Brexit, the responsibilities in the United Kingdom with regard to the national reference tasks of animal disease diagnostics also had to be partially reorganised. In this context, Northern Ireland is treated as a Member State of the EU and thus requires the mandatory designation of corresponding national reference laboratories for animal diseases notifiable in the EU. Following a request from Northern Ireland for support, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (FLI) has agreed to take over the tasks of a national reference laboratory for bluetongue disease, classical swine fever and African swine fever for Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021. The designation was made in a letter from the Chief Veterinary Officer of Northern Ireland, R. J. Huey, dated 31 December 2020.