Workshop on the revision of PM 7/98
Specific requirements for laboratories preparing accreditation for a plant pest diagnostic activity
ANSES Maisons-Alfort (FR), 2019-02-11/13
40 participants from 19 EPPO countries attended the Workshop. The participants also included nearly all the members of the Panel on Diagnostics and Quality Assurance. The EPPO Secretariat thanks ANSES, for kindly offering to host the Workshop. We are also especially grateful to Ms Anthoine for her excellent assistance in preparation and running the Workshop and chairing one session, as well as to Mr Rolland for chairing a session, to those who gave presentations, and to all the participants for their active work in the small groups.
Workshop objectives
The participants were welcomed by Mr Horn, the new Director-General of EPPO, and Ms Petter, Assistant Director. The objectives of the workshop were:
- To allow exchanges between laboratories on their experience with the implementation of the new version of ISO 17025 (version 2017) for accreditation, and the new version of PM 7/98 Specific requirements for laboratories preparing accreditation for a plant pest diagnostic activity;
- To review the tables giving detailed guidance for the validation process by field (Bacteriology, Botany, Entomology, Mycology, Nematology, Virology & Phytoplasmology).
Organisation of the Workshop
Plenary sessions included presentations of laboratories’ experience with implementation of ISO 17025 (version 2017) and the revised PM 7/98, as well as presentations on the Valitest project. Finally, the participation of Ms Safaa Kobbi-Abil from the French Accreditation body, COFRAC on the last day of the Workshop, allowed some extremely valuable exchanges to be made with the experts from laboratories, and many questions (gathered during the whole workshop) were asked on the implementation of ISO 17025. At the end of the sessions, discussions were held on critical points identified during the presentations.
Small group sessions worked on brainstorming on proficiency evaluation, for input into the Valitest project and a review in sub-groups per discipline of the current requirement of PM 7/98 (Appendix 3). The small groups presented their conclusions to the plenary.
Information collected during the workshop will be integrated into the Valitest project and the revision of PM 7/98.
Presentations
SESSION 1 Chaired by Ms Anthoine, ANSES (FR) - Laboratories’ experience with the implementation of ISO 17025 (version 2017) and the revised PM 7/98
- Characterization of the performance criteria of the method: “Detection of Fusarium circinatum by isolation and morphological identification”, according to PM 7/98, V. Wilson (ANSES, FR)
- Example of validation method based on ISO 17025 and EPPO PM 7/98 in GEVES, I. Serandat (GEVES, FR)
- Implementation of ISO 17025 (2017) in NVWA, C. de Krom (NVWA, NL)
- Challenges on the way to implementing new standards, H. Reisenzein (AGES, AT)
- Validation according to PM 7/98 of extraction and isolation of Stenocarpella maydis from seed of corn (wet chamber and culture media), N. Sherokolava (VNIIKR, RU)
- Gap Analysis and preparing for the implementation of ISO 17025 (2017), S. Ross (SASA, GB)
- Understanding of the requirements of PM 7/98, B. Gerič Stare (KIS, SI)
- Preparing for the implementation of ISO 17025 (2017), A. Hoedekie (ILVO, BE)
- Preparing for the implementation of ISO 17025 (2017), R. Weekes (Fera, GB)
SESSION 2 Chaired by Mr Rolland, ANSES (FR) – Valitest WP5 Optimization of proficiency evaluation- horizontal assessment
- Valitest in a nutshell, G. Anthoine (ANSES, FR)
- Presentation of the objectives WP5, M. Rolland (ANSES, FR)
This was followed by the following group sessions:
- Brainstorming in small groups on proficiency evaluation
- Presentations by the small groups (approx. 5 to 15 mn per group) and discussion on the way forward
SESSION 3 Chaired by Ms McMullen, EPPO – Validation tables in PM 7/98
The following sub-groups per discipline of the current requirement of PM 7/98 (Appendix 3) reviewed the relevant tables and the comments received during country consultation on them, as well as suggestions from the Panels in some cases.
- Bacteriology
- Botany, Entomology and Nematology
- Mycology
- Virology and Phytoplasmology
SESSION 4 Chaired by Ms Petter, EPPO – Discussion with an accreditation body COFRAC