Commission Decision of 29 October 2008 on a Community financial contribution towards Member States’ fisheries control, inspection and surveillance programmes for 2008 (notified under document number C(2008) 6262) (2008/860/EC)

Article 1 U.K. Subject matter

This Decision provides for a Community financial contribution for 2008 towards expenditure incurred by Member States for 2008 in implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries policy, as referred to in Article 8(a) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006. It establishes the amount of the Community financial contribution for each Member State, the rate of the Community financial contribution and the conditions on which such contribution may be granted.

Article 2 U.K. Closure of outstanding commitments

Member States shall ensure that all payments in respect of which a reimbursement is claimed shall be made by the Member State concerned by 30 June 2012. Payments made by a Member State after this deadline shall not be eligible for reimbursement. The budgetary appropriations related to this Decision shall be decommitted at the latest by 31 December 2013.

Article 3 U.K. New technologies and IT networks

Expenditure incurred on the purchase of, installation and technical assistance for, computer technology and setting up of IT networks in order to allow efficient and secure data exchange in connection with monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex I.

Article 4 U.K. Automatic localisation devices

1. Expenditure incurred in the purchase and fitting on board of fishing vessels of automatic localisation devices enabling vessels to be monitored at a distance by a fisheries monitoring centre through a vessel monitoring system (VMS) shall qualify for a maximum financial contribution of EUR 4 500 per vessel within the limits established in Annex II.

2. Within the EUR 4 500 limit provided for in paragraph 1, the financial contribution for the first EUR 1 500 of eligible expenditure shall be at a rate of 100 %.

3. The financial contribution for eligible expenditure comprised between EUR 1 500 and EUR 4 500 per vessel shall amount to a maximum of 50 % of such expenditure.

4. In order to qualify, automatic localisation devices shall satisfy the requirements fixed by Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003.

Article 5 U.K. Electronic recording and reporting systems

Expenditure incurred on the purchase of, installation and technical assistance for, electronic recording and reporting systems (ERS) in a fisheries monitoring centre, in order to allow efficient and secure data exchange in connection with monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex III.

Article 6 U.K. Electronic recording and reporting devices

1. Expenditure incurred on the purchase and fitting on board of fishing vessels of ERS devices enabling vessels to record and report electronically to a fisheries monitoring centre data on fisheries activities, shall qualify for a maximum financial contribution of EUR 4 500 per vessel within the limits established in Annex IV.

2. The financial contribution for expenditure incurred on the purchase and fitting on board fishing vessels of ERS devices shall be at a rate of 75 % within the EUR 4 500 limit provided for in paragraph 1.

3. In order to qualify for a financial contribution, ERS devices shall satisfy the requirements established under Council Regulation (EC) No 1966/2006(1) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1566/2007(2).

Article 7 U.K. Pilot projects

Expenditure incurred in pilot projects on new control technologies shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex V.

Article 8 U.K. Training

Expenditure incurred on training and exchange programmes of civil servants responsible for monitoring control and surveillance tasks in the fisheries area shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex VI.

Article 9 U.K. Assessment of expenditure

Expenditure incurred in implementing a system to assess expenditure incurred in controlling the common fisheries policy shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex VII.

Article 10 U.K. Seminars and media tools

Expenditure incurred in initiatives including seminar and media tools aimed at enhancing awareness among fishermen and other players such as inspectors, public prosecutors and judges, as well as among the general public on the need to fight irresponsible and illegal fishing and on the implementation of common fisheries policy rules, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 75 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex VIII.

Article 11 U.K. Fisheries patrol vessels and aircraft

1. Expenditure related to the purchase and modernisation of vessels and aircraft used for inspection and surveillance of fishing activities by the competent authorities of the Member States shall qualify, within the limits laid down in Annex IX, for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure incurred by Member States.

2. The financial contribution specified for each Member State in Annex IX is calculated on the basis of the utilisation of the concerned vessels and aircraft for inspection and surveillance as a percentage of their total yearly activity, as declared by the Member States.

Article 12 U.K.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 29 October 2008.

For the Commission

Joe Borg

Member of the Commission