MedAID (Mediterranean Aquaculture Integrated Development), a four year EU H2020 research project, will address key factors to improve aquaculture production in the Mediterranean.
The project brings together the best aquaculture experts from over 30 organizations from 12 countries.

Dr. Elisa Pasquale, junior researcher and student of the postgraduate doctoral course of studies at the University of Milan, Italy, is in visit at the Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry of the Croatian Veterinary Institute in Zagreb in the period from 6 October 2014 until 6 January 2015. Dr. Pasquale is a junior researcher at the University of Milan, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine – Divet, Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health, under the mentorship by Luca M. Chiesa, PhD. Her scope of research includes the development of contemporary analytical methods in the analyses of residues of natural and synthetic steroids, with the application of liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The topic of her dissertation is part of the “Biosafe” project of the University of Milan, providing young researchers with education abroad in their respective research field.

On 17 and 18 October 2013, in Split, Croatia, takes place the second Steering Committee meeting of “Strengthening of Aquaculture Centres for production and Safety Surveillance in Adriatic Cross-border Countries - CAPS2” project, co funded by European Union and Adriatic Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013, in order to improve the safety and health of fishery products in Adriatic Area. The event is organised by Croatian Veterinary Institute, lead beneficiary of the project.

During the meeting will be recap the overall status of the project and will be present the carried out activities in order to monitoring the implementation, compare possible needs proposed by the partner and define the general lines for future coordinated actions. Moreover, the meeting will be occasion to introduce the new project partner from Montenegro: the Centre for Ecotoxicological Research of Montenegro - CETI.

CAPS2 project considers four intervention areas: strengthening of diagnostic services, GIS application development, National Surveillance Plans preparation, risk assessment. In the course of the meeting will be analysed activities carried out by each partners for every area and will be considered their technical and training needs to carry on the project. Therefore, in that occasion, the Committee will also include some representative of Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Abruzzo and Molise Regions, the beneficiary who provides the laboratory and GIS training.

After discussing the technical aspects, financial and administrative matters relating to the management of the budget and expenses will be faced.

Browsing on project website www.caps2.eu , it is possible find further information on the meeting.

This year, the sixth annual workshop on European national reference laboratories for brucellosis was held on 26-27 September 2013 at the Croatian Veterinary Institute in Zagreb. The host of the meeting, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Laboratory for Bacterial Zoonoses and Molecular Diagnostics of Bacterial Diseases, hosted the representatives of 24 European Union Member States, Switzerland, Norway, EU candidate countries FYR Macedonia and Turkey, and other countries from the region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia. At the opening of the workshop, director of the Veterinary Institute Professor Dr. Željko Cvetnić acquainted the participants with the history and different departments of the Institute: Veterinary branches, Poultry Centre, departments and laboratories, while Dr. Silvio Špičić spoke about the current state of brucellosis in domestic and wild animals in Croatia. Dr. Bruno Garin Batui, head of the EU reference laboratory for brucellosis, OIE/FAO reference laboratory, ANSES, Maison-Alfort from France, was given a special letter of gratitude as a sign of the long-lasting successful cooperation and assistance in the professional and scientific development of the Laboratory for Bacterial Zoonoses and Molecular Diagnostics of Bacterial Diseases.

The two-day workshop addressed topics relating to the recent activities of the EU reference laboratory, and the verified results of serological, bacteriological and molecular tests to verify the work of the laboratory. During the round table, current issues for each individual country were presented. Furthermore, at a dinner for all participants at the Trajbar Team Equestrian Club in Zaprešić, those present enjoyed themselves until the early hours. The best indicators of the success of the workshop are the messages of thanks and praise that we are still receiving, days after the close of the workshop.