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.