Commission Implementing Decision of 13 December 2012 approving certain amended programmes for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases and zoonoses for the year 2012 and amending Implementing Decision 2011/807/EU as regards the financial contribution by the Union for certain programmes approved by that Decision (notified under document C(2012) 9264) (2012/785/EU)

Commission Implementing Decision

of 13 December 2012

approving certain amended programmes for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases and zoonoses for the year 2012 and amending Implementing Decision 2011/807/EU as regards the financial contribution by the Union for certain programmes approved by that Decision

(notified under document C(2012) 9264)

(2012/785/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 field(1), and in particular Article 27(5) and (6) thereof,

Whereas:

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

(2) 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 zoonoses(2) provides that in order to be approved under the measures provided for in Article 27(1) of Decision 2009/470/EC, programmes submitted by the Member States to the Commission for the eradication, control and monitoring of the animal diseases and zoonoses listed in Annex I to that Decision must meet at least the criteria set out in the Annex to Decision 2008/341/EC.

(3) Commission Implementing Decision 2011/807/EU of 30 November 2011 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 2012 and following years(3) approves certain national programmes and sets out the rate and maximum amount of the financial contribution by the Union for each programme submitted by the Member States.

(4) An important recrudescence of African swine fever in Italy (Sardinia) has occurred in 2012: several outbreaks have occurred in seven out of the eight Sardinian provinces, not only in backyard farms but also in large commercial farms. African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic pigs and wild-boar. If the disease is not properly tackled in Sardinia, the whole EU can be affected with important consequence on the health and economic situation of all Member States.

(5) As a consequence, a revised 2012 control and monitoring African swine fever programme has been submitted by Italy in order to properly tackle the disease. Italy has informed the Commission that, due the exceptional epidemiological situation and the high risk of spread of the disease out of Sardinia, additional support for contractual staff is required to ensure the implementation of the planned measures.

(6) Portugal has submitted an amended programme for the eradication of bovine brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis and bluetongue. The United Kingdom submitted an amended programme for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis. Spain has submitted an amended programme for the eradication of ovine and caprine brucellosis and bluetongue. Slovenia has submitted an amended programme for the control and monitoring of classical swine fever. Italy and Greece have submitted amended programmes for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie, and Bulgaria submitted an amended programme for the eradication of rabies.

(7) The Commission has assessed those amended programmes from both the veterinary and the financial point of view. They were found to comply with relevant Union veterinary legislation and in particular with the criteria set out in the Annex to Decision 2008/341/EC. The amended programmes should therefore be approved.

(8) Furthermore, the Commission has assessed the intermediate reports submitted by the Member States, according to Article 27(7) of Decision 2009/470/EC on the expenditures they incurred for those programmes. The results of that assessment show that certain Member States will not utilise their full allocation for the year 2012 while others will spend in excess of the allocated amount.

(9) The financial contribution by the Union for a number of national programmes therefore needs to be adjusted. In order to optimise the use of the earmarked credit it is appropriate to reallocate funding from national programmes which will not use their full allocation to those that are expected to exceed it due to unforeseen animal health situations in those Member States. The reallocation should be based on the most recent information on expenditure actually incurred by the Member States concerned.

(10) Implementing Decision 2011/807/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.

(11) 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 155, 18.6.2009, p. 30.

(2)

OJ L 115, 29.4.2008, p. 44.

(3)

OJ L 322, 6.12.2011, p. 11.