COMMISSION DECISION
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
(notified under document number C(2007) 4434)
(2007/636/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 EFSA report).
(4)
In order to set the Community 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 EFSA report.
(5)
The EFSA 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)
The survey is to provide technical information necessary for the development of Community veterinary legislation. Given the importance of collecting comparable data on the prevalence of Salmonella in breeding pigs in the Member States, they 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 laboratory testing, subject to a ceiling. All other costs incurred such as sampling, travel, administration, etc. should not be eligible for any Community financial contribution.
(7)
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 subject to compliance with certain other conditions.
(8)
The financial contribution from the Community should be granted insofar as the actions provided for are effectively carried out and provided that the competent authorities furnish all the necessary information within the time limits provided for.
(9)
For reasons of administrative efficiency all expenditure presented for a financial contribution by the Community should be expressed in euro. In accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (4), 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.
(10)
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:
Article 1
Subject matter and scope
This Decision lays down rules on the financial contribution from the Community towards a baseline survey to be carried out in the Member States to assess the prevalence of Salmonella spp. across the Community in breeding pigs sampled at farm level (the survey).
The results of the survey shall be used to set a Community target as provided for 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.
Article 2
Definition
For the purposes of this Decision, ‘competent authority’ shall be the authority or authorities of a Member State as designated pursuant to Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003.
Article 3
Scope of the survey
1. The Member States shall carry out a survey to assess the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in breeding pigs sampled at farm level in accordance with Annex I.
2. The survey shall cover a one-year period commencing on 1 January 2008.
Article 4
Performance of sampling and analyses
Sampling and analysis shall be performed by the competent authority or under its supervision, in accordance with the technical specifications set out in Annex I.
Article 5
Conditions for granting a Community financial contribution
1. The financial contribution from the Community towards the costs of analyses shall be granted to the Member States up to the maximum total amount for co-financing set out in Annex II for the duration of the survey.
2. The financial contribution from the Community provided for in paragraph 1 shall be granted to the Member States provided that the survey is implemented in accordance with the relevant provisions of Community law, including the rules on competition and on the award of public contracts, and subject to compliance with the following conditions:
(a)
the national laws, regulations and administrative provisions required to implement the survey must enter into force by 1 January 2008 at the latest;
(b)
a progress report containing the information listed in point 5.1 of Annex I and covering the period from 1 January 2008 to 31 March 2008 must be submitted to the Commission by 31 May 2008 at the latest;
(c)
a final report on the implementation of the survey, together with supporting evidence for the costs incurred by the Member States for the analyses and the results attained during the period from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 must be submitted to the Commission by 28 February 2009 at the latest;
(d)
the survey must be implemented effectively.
The supporting evidence for the costs incurred as referred to in paragraph 2(c) shall comprise at least the information set out in Annex III.
3. Failure to submit the final report referred to in paragraph 2(c) shall entail a progressive reduction of the financial contribution to be paid by the Community, amounting to 25 % of the total amount by 31 March 2009, 50 % by 30 April 2009 and 100 % by 31 May 2009.
Article 6
Maximum amounts to be reimbursed
The maximum amounts of the financial contribution from the Community towards the costs to be reimbursed to the Member States for analyses covered by the survey shall not exceed the following:
(a)
EUR 20 per test for bacteriological detection of Salmonella spp.;
(b)
EUR 30 for serotyping of the relevant isolates.
Article 7
Collection of data, assessment and reporting
1. The competent authority responsible for preparing the yearly national report pursuant to Article 9(1) of Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) shall collect and assess the results of the survey.
2. The Commission shall forward the national data and the assessment referred to in paragraph 1 to the European Food Safety Authority, which shall examine them.
3. National data and results shall be made publicly available in a form that ensures confidentiality.
Article 8
Conversion rate for expenditure
Where a Member State’s expenditure is in a currency other than the euro, the Member State concerned shall convert it into euro by applying the most recent exchange rate set by the European Central Bank prior to the first day of the month in which the application for the financial contribution from the Community is submitted by the Member State.
Article 9
Application
This Decision shall apply from 1 January 2008.
Article 10
Addressees
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 28 September 2007.