ECDC proposes new EU Reference Laboratories to strengthen Europe’s preparedness against infectious diseases

ECDC proposes to DG SANTE to consider issuing calls for application for EU Reference Laboratories (EULRs) for public health in the following areas in 2026:

• Clostridioides difficile remains one of the most common healthcare-associated pathogens in Europe. An EURL would support harmonised diagnostics and modern molecular typing methods, essential for tracking outbreaks.
• Drug-resistant gonorrhoea continues to rise across the EU/EEA. A dedicated EURL would help safeguard treatment effectiveness through strengthened antimicrobial resistance monitoring and may also address additional bacterial STIs.
• Tuberculosis remains a persistent public health challenge, particularly drug-resistant forms. An EURL for Mycobacteria would support Member States in improving diagnostics and detection of resistant strains.
• Invasive bacterial diseases such as meningitis cause severe illness and require rapid, accurate pathogen identification. A dedicated EURL would support surveillance and outbreak response efforts across Europe.

All these pathogens continue to cause substantial illnesses and healthcare burden in Europe. Strengthening laboratory expertise and harmonising methods across Member States is expected to: 

• enhance outbreak detection; 
• support clinical and public health responses; and 
• improve surveillance.

ECDC’s recommendation follows an updated scientific assessment and extensive consultation with disease networks, national public health authorities, and other stakeholders. The proposal will inform the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), which is responsible for selecting and designating EURLs under the EU4Health Work Programme.

Planning for future laboratory priorities

ECDC also suggests additional pathogens and topics that may require EU-level laboratory support in the future. These include:

• Fungal pathogens;
• Biotoxins;
• Arthropod vectors (such as ticks and mosquitoes); and
• Prion diseases.

During 2026, ECDC, in collaboration with DG SANTE, will conduct a stakeholder consultation to revise this list of potential future EURL priorities.

Improving the EURL implementation process

Based on experiences from previous calls, ECDC also recommends refinements to the evaluation process to ensure a transparent and robust approach to selecting future EURLs.

Background 

EU reference laboratories in public health are created under Regulation 2022/2371 on Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health. This regulation provides the legal basis for setting up a network of specialised laboratories to support EU-wide disease surveillance and response.

The network of EU reference laboratories in public health is coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

A total of 10 EU reference laboratories for public health have so far been designated by the European Commission. The first six became operational in January 2025, the next three in January 2026, and the tenth will become operational in January 2027. The new EU reference laboratories will become operational in 2028.