The European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL) is a unique platform of EU experts that play an eminent role in the development, harmonisation and standardisation of means and methods for sampling, detection, identification and quantification of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or derived products in a wide variety of matrices, covering seeds, grains, food, feed and environmental samples.

The network was inaugurated in Brussels on December 4th 2002 and it currently consists of more than 100 national enforcement laboratories, representing all 27 EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland. Its plenary meetings are open to particular observers, such as to representatives from Acceding and Candidate Countries.

Members are appointed by their National Competent Authorities. The chairmanship of the network is under the responsibility of the Unit "Molecular Biology and Genomics Unit" of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre's Institute for Health and Consumer Protection. A Steering Committee, composed of one representative per Member State, assists the chair in the management of ENGL.

Since 2004, ENGL provides assistance to the Community Reference Laboratory for GM Food and Feed, particularly with respect to the validation of analytical methods for the event-specific quantification of GMOs that are under marketing approval. Details of the tasks can be found in Regulation 1829/03 on GM Food and Feed.

ENGL documents, together with useful background documents, can be found in the section “documents and presentations”.