The European Commission has opened four new calls for applications to designate EU Reference Laboratories for public health covering Clostridioides difficile, sexually transmitted bacteria, mycobacteria and invasive bacteria.
Applications are open to public health laboratories in EU member states and European Economic Area (EEA) countries that participate in the EU4Health Programme, according to a statement published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Wednesday.
The deadline to submit applications is Wednesday 19 August 2026 at 12:00 (noon) Central European Summer Time.
EU Reference Laboratories are specialist labs designated to support public health work on specific pathogens — disease-causing organisms such as bacteria — by providing reference services and expertise across countries.
Who can apply and what it covers
The four calls relate to Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhoea, and categories covering sexually transmitted bacteria, mycobacteria and invasive bacteria, ECDC said.
Further details and instructions on how to apply are available through the European Commission’s calls for applications.
