The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) has incorporated the missions, resources and personnel of the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) and the French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (AFSSET). Its principal mission is to contribute to the protection of human health with respect to the environment, the workplace and food.

On 1 July 2008, European Commission officially designated the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) as the European Union Reference Laboratory (EU-RL) for equine diseases (excluding African horse sickness).
> Commission regulation (EC) No 180/2008

The activities of the European Union Reference Laboratory are handled on 2 sites

The Laboratory for animal health, Maisons-Alfort site (near Paris) studies West Nile, Viral Equine Encephalitis, Vesicular Stomatitis, Glanders and Melioidosis

The Laboratory for animal health, Dozulé site (in Normandy) studies Contagious Equine Metritis, Dourine, Equine Viral Arteritis, Equine Herpes viruses and Equine Infectious Anaemia