World Anti-Doping Agency suspends accreditation of Bucharest doping control lab

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has decided to provisionally suspend the WADA accreditation of the Romanian Doping Control Laboratory (Bucharest Laboratory) due to non-compliances with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), according to a statement from the agency. The suspension took effect starting November 29. It prohibits the Bucharest Laboratory from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and blood samples. “The provisional suspension will remain in place pending disciplinary proceedings being carried out by an independent Disciplinary Committee, which will be mandated to make a recommendation to the Chair of the WADA Executive Committee regarding the status of the Laboratory’s WADA accreditation,” reads the press release. During the period of the provisional suspension, the samples that have not yet been analyzed by the Bucharest Laboratory, as well as samples currently undergoing a confirmation procedure and any samples for which an Adverse Analytical Finding has been reported must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory, WADA said. “This is in order to ensure continued high quality sample analysis, which also helps preserve athletes’ confidence in this process and of the wider anti-doping system.” Founded in 1983, the Doping Control Laboratory in Romania was the only lab in Eastern Europe accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. It received the international accreditation from WADA in July 2009. Romanian youth and sports minister Marius Dunca told local News.ro that this provisional suspension doesn’t affect the Romanian sport and it doesn’t mean that the laboratory will be shut down. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com (photo source: Lcd.gov.ro/)