The European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP) provides scientific and technical support to the implementation of air quality policy regarding measurements of air pollution.

It deals with the organisation of quality assurance programmes for the Member States' national reference laboratories and develops and validates innovative measurement techniques.

The laboratory is the Commission’s body responsible for organising European quality assurance programmes for air pollution measurements in line with requirements of the EU Air Quality Directive.

It works on the harmonisation and standardisation of measurement techniques, carries out measurement campaigns in areas of particular interest, analyses the chemical composition of toxic and carcinogenic compounds in air pollution and develops reference and equivalent measurement methods to provide support to the implementation and development of European air quality policy.