Commission Decision of 20 December 2007 concerning a financial contribution from the Community towards a survey on the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in herds of breeding pigs to be carried out in the Member States (notified under document number C(2007) 6579) (2008/55/EC)

Commission Decision

of 20 December 2007

concerning a financial contribution from the Community towards a survey on the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in herds of breeding pigs to be carried out in the Member States

(notified under document number C(2007) 6579)

(2008/55/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field(1), and in particular Article 20 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Decision 90/424/EEC lays down procedures governing a financial contribution by the Community towards specific veterinary measures, including technical and scientific measures. It provides for the Community to undertake or assist Member States in undertaking the technical and scientific measures necessary for the development of Community veterinary legislation and for the development of veterinary education or training.

(2) Under Article 4 and Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the control of Salmonella and other specified food-borne zoonotic agents(2), a Community target is to be established for reducing the prevalence of Salmonella in populations of herds of breeding pigs.

(3) The Task Force on Zoonoses Data Collection of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted on 30 April 2007 a Report on a proposal for technical specifications for a baseline study on the prevalence of Salmonella in breeding pigs(3) (the Salmonella report).

(4) In order to set the Community target for the reduction of the prevalence of zoonoses and zoonotic agents as foreseen in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 and to consider the best approach to evaluate in the future the achievement of such target, comparable data on the percentage of Salmonella infected holdings of breeding pigs in the Member States needs to be available. Such information is not available and a special survey should therefore be carried out to monitor the prevalence of Salmonella in breeding pigs over a suitable period in order to take account of possible seasonal variations. The survey should be based on the Salmonella report.

(5) The Salmonella report also recommends additional sampling for the estimation of within-holding prevalence. Such sampling should be carried out by a number of Member States geographically representing the different situations in the Community.

(6) Meticilline-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have been recognised as an important risk in hospitals for several decades. MRSA is resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics and it is particularly dangerous for patients with a decreased immunity. The number of deaths attributed to MRSA in the United Kingdom has been estimated at around 3 000 per year. The costs for treatment per patient are estimated at EUR 12 000 to 15 000. Additional expenses are incurred due to hygiene and control programmes to prevent or limit the infection in hospitals.

(7) A new strain of MRSA (ST398) has recently been detected in production animals in several Member States. In particular, pigs have been recognised as an important source of infection for pig farmers or their relatives by direct contact with pigs. Infection with the new strain may also enter hospitals as previously MRSA did in several Member States.

(8) In order to increase awareness and to assess whether it is necessary to take measures to detect and control MRSA in order to reduce their prevalence and the risk they pose to public health, comparable data on the percentage of MRSA (ST398) infected holdings of breeding pigs in the Member States are needed. Such information is not available and a special survey should therefore be carried out to monitor the prevalence of MRSA in breeding pigs over a suitable period in order to take account of possible seasonal variations.

(9) The Task Force on Zoonoses Data Collection of the EFSA adopted on 19 November 2007 a Report including a proposal for technical specifications for a baseline survey on the prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in breeding pigs (the MRSA report)(4). The MRSA report makes recommendations with regard to the sampling frame, sample collection protocol, laboratory analytical methods and reporting. The technical specifications for the survey provided for in this Decision should be based on that report.

(10) In accordance with Commission Decision 2007/636/EC of 28 September 2007 concerning a financial contribution from the Community towards a survey on the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in herds of breeding pigs to be carried out in the Member States(5), Member States are to carry out a survey in herds of breeding pigs from 1 January 2008 until 31 December 2008 in order to assess the prevalence of Salmonella spp. Taking into account the public health significance of MRSA, the emerging risk of pigs as source of infection for humans and the lack of comparable information on the prevalence of MRSA in herds of breeding pigs in different Member States, additional sampling during the survey provided for in Decision 2007/636/EC is the most rapid and cost-effective way to evaluate the prevalence of MRSA in herds of breeding pigs in the Community.

(11) The survey is to provide technical information necessary for the development of Community veterinary legislation as appropriate. Given the importance of collecting comparable data on the prevalence of MRSA in breeding pigs in the Member States, the Member States should be granted a Community financial contribution for implementing the specific requirements of the survey. It is appropriate to reimburse 100 % of the costs incurred on the purchase of swabs and the laboratory testing, subject to a ceiling. All other costs incurred, such as costs for sampling, travelling and administration, should not be eligible for any Community financial contribution.

(12) The financial contribution from the Community should be granted provided that the survey is carried out in accordance with the relevant provisions of Community law and that certain other conditions are complied with, including transmission of results within prescribed deadlines.

(13) For reasons of administrative efficiency all expenditure presented for a financial contribution by the Community should be expressed in EUR. In accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy(6), the conversion rate for expenditure in a currency other than euro should be the rate most recently set by the European Central Bank prior to the first day of the month in which the application is submitted by the Member State concerned. For reasons of clarity and transparency, Decision 2007/636/EC should be repealed and a financial contribution from the Community toward the surveys for the prevalence of Salmonella and MRSA should be laid down in this single Decision.

(14) In order to ensure the coherence in carrying out the surveys, this Decision should apply from 1 January 2008, date of application of Decision 2007/636/EC.

(15) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(1)

OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. Decision as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1).

(2)

OJ L 325, 12.12.2003, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1237/2007 (OJ L 280, 24.10.2007, p. 5).

(3)

The EFSA Journal (2007) 99, 1-28.

(4)

The EFSA Journal (2007) 129, 1-14.

(5)

OJ L 257, 3.10.2007, p. 30.

(6)

OJ L 209, 11.8.2005, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1437/2007 (OJ L 322, 7.12.2007, p. 1).