Textile products: Greece’s General Chemical State Laboratory designated as a Union testing facility for market surveillance
By Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1481, published on 3 July 2026, the Commission designated the General Chemical State Laboratory (GCSL) — a directorate-general of Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) — as a Union testing facility for textile products. The designation is to be reviewed by 23 July 2031 and every five years thereafter.
- The choice followed call for expression of interest CFEI/GRO/IMA/2025-2026, launched for two product categories — machinery and textile products; the decision enters into force on the twentieth day after publication.
- Union testing facilities operate under Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance: they are to enhance laboratory capacity and ensure the reliability and consistency of laboratory testing for market surveillance in the Union, and must themselves be accredited in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 765/2008.
- They provide their services solely to market surveillance authorities, the Union Product Compliance Network, the Commission and other governmental or intergovernmental entities: they test products at the request of market surveillance authorities, the Network or the Commission, provide independent technical or scientific advice at the Network’s request, and develop new analysis techniques and methods.
- Their activities are remunerated and may be financed by the Union, including to increase testing capacity where it is lacking; the designation does not restrict market surveillance authorities, the Network or the Commission in freely choosing laboratories for their own testing.