The EURL for Insects and Mites carries out validation studies of diagnostic protocols published in international or regional standards, such as those issued by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) or the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). The aim of this activitiy is to provide objective evidence that the diagnostic protocols are suitable to perform routine identification of plant pests. This process is of fundamental importance in order to be able to recommend the use of a given diagnostic protocol to National Reference Laboratories. In the reports, performance characteristics and recommendations for the correct use of the tests (both morphological and molecular) are given, based on the results obtained from the validation study.