Commission Decision

of 23 November 2010

approving annual and multiannual programmes and the financial contribution from the Union for the eradication, control and monitoring of certain animal diseases and zoonoses presented by the Member States for 2011 and following years

(notified under document C(2010) 8125)

(2010/712/EU)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Decision 2009/470/EC of 25 May 2009 on expenditure in the veterinary field1, and in particular Article 27(5) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Decision 2009/470/EC lays down the procedures governing the Union financial contribution for programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of animal diseases and zoonoses.

(2)

In addition, Article 27(1) of Decision 2009/470/EC provides that a Union financial measure is to be introduced to reimburse the expenditure incurred by the Member States for the financing of national programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of the animal diseases and zoonoses listed in Annex 1 to that Decision.

(3)
Commission Decision 2008/341/EC of 25 April 2008 laying down Community criteria for national programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of certain animal diseases and zoonoses2 provides that in order to be approved under the Union financial measures, programmes submitted by the Member States must meet at least the criteria set out in the Annex to that Decision.
(4)
Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies3 provides for annual monitoring programmes by Member States for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in bovine, ovine and caprine animals.
(5)
Council Directive 2005/94/EC of 20 December 2005 on Community measures for the control of avian influenza4 also provides for surveillance programmes by Member States to be carried out in respect of poultry and wild birds in order to contribute, inter alia, on the basis of regularly updated risk-assessments, to the knowledge on the threats posed by the wild birds in relation to any influenza virus of avian origin in birds. Those annual programmes, and their financing, for monitoring should also be approved.
(6)

Certain Member States have submitted to the Commission annual programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of animal diseases, programmes of checks aimed at the prevention of zoonoses, and annual monitoring programmes for the eradication and monitoring of certain TSEs for which they wish to receive a financial contribution from the Union.

(7)
For the years 2009 and 2010 certain multiannual programmes submitted by Member States for the eradication, control and monitoring of the animal diseases were approved under Commission Decisions 2008/897/EC5 and 2009/883/EC6.
(8)
The commitment of the expenditure for those multiannual programmes was adopted in accordance with Article 76(3) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities7. The first budget commitment for those programmes was made after their approval. Each subsequent annual commitment should be made by the Commission in function of the execution of the programme for the previous year, on the basis of a decision to grant a contribution referred to in Article 27(5) of Decision 2009/470/EC.
(9)

Rabies programmes in most Member States are now approaching the stage of achieving their objective of eradicating this important public health threat. It is appropriate to provide additional support to these programmes through a higher level of financial contribution by the Union, in order to reinforce the efforts of the Member States to eradicate that disease as soon as possible.

(10)

Certain Member States which have been successfully implementing rabies eradication programmes that have been co-financed for several years, share land borders with third countries where that disease is present. In order to finally eradicate rabies, certain vaccination activities need to be carried out in the territory of those third countries adjacent to the Union.

(11)

The Commission has assessed the annual programmes submitted by the Member States, as well as the third and second years respectively of the multiannual programmes approved for 2009 and 2010, from both the veterinary and financial point of view. Those programmes comply with the relevant Union veterinary legislation and in particular with the criteria set out in Decision 2008/341/EC.

(12)

In the light of the importance of the annual and multiannual programmes for the achievement of Union objectives in the field of animal and public health, as well as the obligatory application in all Member States in the case of the TSE and avian influenza programmes, it is appropriate to fix the appropriate rate of the Union financial contribution to reimburse the costs to be incurred by the Member States concerned for the measures referred to in this Decision up to a maximum amount for each programme.

(13)

In the interests of better management and a more efficient use of Union funds and improved transparency, it is also necessary to fix for each programme, where appropriate, the average cost to be reimbursed to the Member States for certain measures, such as the costs of the tests used in the Member States and the compensation payable to owners for their losses due to the slaughter or culling of animals. It is also necessary to clarify which expenditure is eligible for a Union financial contribution. For that reasons, a clarification of eligible expenditure should be included.

(14)
Under Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy8, programmes for the eradication and control of animal diseases are to be financed under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund. For financial control purposes, Articles 9, 36 and 37 of that Regulation are to apply.
(15)

The financial contribution from the Union should be granted subject to the condition that the actions planned are efficiently carried out and that the competent authorities supply all the necessary information within the time limits laid down in this Decision.

(16)

For reasons of administrative efficiency all expenditure submitted for a financial contribution by the Union should be expressed in euro. In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005, the conversion rate for expenditure in a currency other than the euro should be the most recent exchange rate 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.

(17)

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: