The pre-entry rabies antibody titration test required for dogs, cats and ferrets entering the Union from a territory or a Non-EU country not listed in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 shall be performed in a rabies serology laboratory approved in accordance with Council Decision 2000/258/EC.

That Decision designated ANSES-Nancy Laboratory (France) to appraise, by means of inter-laboratory aptitude tests, the laboratories in EU countries or Non-EU countries for the purposes of their authorisation to carry out the serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of the anti-rabies vaccination.

Procedure to be authorised: a favourable result of the appraisal of the applicant laboratory documented by ANSES-Nancy laboratory is a pre-requisite.

• in EU countries: on that basis, the competent authority of the EU country may authorise the applicant laboratory to carry out the serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of rabies vaccines

• in Non-EU countries: on that basis and together with an application from the competent authorities of the Non-EU country of origin of the applicant laboratory, the laboratory is authorised in accordance with the Comitology procedure to carry out the serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of the anti-rabies vaccination.

Procedure to be maintained as authorised:

• each authorised laboratory in EU countries and in Non-EU countries shall undergo an inter-laboratory aptitude test carried out each year by ANSES-Nancy laboratory

• the authorisation granted to a laboratory is maintained provided that the appraisal report established by ANSES-Nancy laboratory following the inter-laboratory aptitude test is favourable

• the inter-laboratory aptitude test is at the expense of the authorised laboratory

Further information

Laboratories authorised in EU countries and in Non-EU countries for verifying the effectiveness of rabies vaccination on dogs, cats and ferrets entering an EU country are available from the links below: