This Directive lays down some amendment to Council Directive 92/66/EEC introducing Community measures for the control of Newcastle disease. The amendments concern the designation of the European Union reference laboratory for Newcastle disease. The functions and duties of the European Union reference laboratory for Newcastle disease shall be to coordinate, in consultation with the Commission, the methods employed in the Member States for diagnosing Newcastle disease, specifically by: (i) typing, storing and supplying strains of Newcastle disease virus for serological tests and the preparation of antisera; (ii) supplying standard sera and other reference reagents to the national reference laboratories in order to standardize the tests and reagents used in the Member States; (iii) building up and retaining a collection of Newcastle disease virus strains and isolates; (iv) organizing periodical comparative tests of diagnostic procedures at European Union level; (v) collecting and collating data and information on the methods of diagnosis used and the results of tests carried out in the European Union; (vi) characterizing isolates of Newcastle disease viruses by the most up-to-date methods available to promote a greater understanding of the epidemiology of Newcastle disease; (vii) keeping abreast of developments in Newcastle disease surveillance, epidemiology and prevention throughout the world; (viii) retaining expertise on Newcastle disease virus and other pertinent viruses to enable a rapid differential diagnosis; (ix) acquiring a thorough knowledge of the preparation and use of the products of veterinary immunology used to eradicate and control Newcastle disease.