Reference Laboratories of the Office International des Epizooties shall have as their principal mandate:

• to function as a center of expertise and standardization for a designated disease(s) or topics;
• to store and distribute to national laboratories biological reference products and any other reagents used in the diagnosis and control of the designated disease(s) or topics;
• to develop new procedures for diagnosis and control of the designated disease(s) or topics;
• to gather, process, analyze and disseminate epizootiological data relevant to their speciality;
• to place expert consultants at the disposal of the Office International des Epizooties.

They may also contribute to:

• provision of scientific and technical training for personnel from Member Countries of the Office;
• provision of diagnostic testing facilities to Member Countries:
In the case of results that are confirmed positive for diseases that are reportable to OIE, the Reference Laboratory should immediately inform the OIE Delegate of the Member Country from which the samples originated as well as the OIE Central Bureau;
• organization of scientific meetings on behalf of the Office;
• coordination of scientific and technical studies in collaboration with other laboratories or organizations;
• publication and dissemination of any information in their sphere of competence which may be useful to Member Countries of the Office.

Article 1
Applications for the title of Reference Laboratory of the Office International des Epizooties shall be submitted to the Director General by the Delegate of the Member Country to which the laboratory belongs or by the corresponding Regional Commission.

Article 2
Applications received shall be presented by the Director General, after consultation with the Biological Standards Commission or the Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission, as appropriate, to the Administrative Commission at its annual meetings. Applications shall be selected on the sole criteria of scientific and technical competence of the experts proposed by the laboratories.

Article 3
Applications endorsed by the Commission shall be presented to the Committee for approval.

Article 4
The Director General shall notify approved laboratories of their designation as an "OIE Reference Laboratory".

Article 5
This notification shall confer on the laboratory the right to use the title "OIE Reference Laboratory" and the OIE emblem on all documents issued by the laboratory in its official capacity, and the right of the designated specialist within the laboratory to use the title of OIE Expert.

Article 6
OIE Experts exercise their function within the "rules applicable to OIE Experts".

Article 7
The rights conferred by Article 5 upon a laboratory and an expert require full compliance with the Mandate of an OIE Reference Laboratory, within the limits of facilities available, and provision of a brief report of activities at the end of each calendar year of their mandate. This report will be distributed to all Member Countries.

Article 8
The designation shall be valid for four years, at the end of which the Director General may propose to the Committee that it be renewed. Either party may revoke the designation at any time.

Article 9
Any major change within the Laboratory which may impair its competence (particularly the retirement of a designated expert) shall be reported immediately to the Director General of the Office.