12/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - ANSES laboratory in Sophia-Antipolis, France, designated by EU for the study of bee mortality. The European Commission has just designated the research laboratory of the Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES) in Sophia-Antipolis as the EU reference laboratory in the field of bee health. A regulation, which appeared in the Official Journal of the European Union on 2 February, designated the French facility. Its term as the EU reference laboratory, which began on 1st April, is for five years and will end on 31 March 2016. The ANSES research will cover the main diseases among bees (of parasitic, bacteriological or virological origin) and the main predators (insects and mites), such as the varroa mite, which threaten bees, and the causes of poisoning of hives (chemical agents including pesticides). One of its main tasks will be to provide the European Commission with scientific and technical assistance for the implementation of a European pilot monitoring programme. (L.C./transl.rt)