COMMISSION DECISION
of 19 July 2007
concerning a financial contribution from the Community towards a survey on the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks and on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in broiler carcasses to be carried out in the Member States
(notified under document number C(2007) 3440)
(2007/516/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)
According to the Report of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on Trends and Sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and antimicrobial resistance in the Community in 2005 (2), a total of 194 695 cases of campylobacteriosis in humans were reported in 22 Member States. Broiler meat is considered the most common source of infection. Up to 66,4 % positive samples in broiler meat were reported. In broiler flocks, 0,2 to 86 % of the reported samples were positive.
(3)
In addition, according to the EFSA report, a total of 168 929 cases of human salmonellosis were reported in 22 Member States in 2005. Typical contamination rates of fresh poultry meat vary from 4 to 10 %, being the highest rates of all foodstuffs analysed.
(4)
The EFSA also indicates in its report that a relatively high proportion of Campylobacter and Salmonella isolates from animals and food were resistant to antimicrobials commonly used in treatment of human diseases. This specially applies to the case of resistance to fluoroquinolones in Campylobacter isolates from poultry, where up to 94 % of isolates were reported resistant to ciprofloxacin. Food-borne infections caused by these resistant bacteria pose a particular risk to humans due to possible treatment failure.
(5)
In accordance with Commission Decision 2005/636/EC of 1 September 2005 concerning a financial contribution by the Community towards a baseline survey on the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in broiler flocks of Gallus gallus to be carried out in the Member States (3), comparable information was collected with regard to the prevalence of Salmonella in such flocks. It is, however, very difficult to compare prevalence of Campylobacter in broiler flocks and broiler meat, and of Salmonella in broiler meat from different Member States as there is no harmonised monitoring.
(6)
Under Article 5 of Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents, amending Council Decision 90/424/EEC and repealing Council Directive 92/117/EEC (4), coordinated monitoring programmes may be established, especially when specific needs are identified, to assess risks and to establish baseline values related to zoonoses and zoonotic agents at the level of Member States.
(7)
Scientific experts in collaboration with the EFSA prepared technical specifications for a baseline study on a harmonised monitoring of Campylobacter in broiler flocks. Training was organised in 2006 for laboratory staff in all Member States on the detection methods for Campylobacter in such flocks and is scheduled in 2007 with regard to the enumeration method for Campylobacter on carcasses.
(8)
The Task Force on Monitoring of Zoonoses Data Collection of EFSA adopted during its meeting on 16 and 17 October 2006 the report on proposed technical specifications for a coordinated monitoring programme for Salmonella and Campylobacter in broiler meat in the EU (5).
(9)
The Task Force also adopted a Report including a proposal for a harmonised monitoring scheme of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella in fowl (Gallus gallus), turkeys and pigs and Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli in broilers (6) on 20 February 2007. The report makes recommendations on a harmonised monitoring scheme and harmonised methodology for susceptibility testing.
(10)
Pursuant to Article 7(3) and Annex II(B) of Directive 2003/99/EC, detailed rules should be laid down on the antimicrobial resistance monitoring of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in poultry. Data needs to be collected in order for such rules to be laid down Therefore, testing of the antimicrobial resistance should be included in the survey in order to gather the necessary data.
(11)
Taking into account the high number of Salmonella and Campylobacter cases in humans, the importance of broilers and broiler meat as source of infection and the increasing concern on antimicrobial resistance development, comparable data on the prevalence of Campylobacter in broilers and broiler meat, Salmonella in broiler meat in the Member States should be collected to consider the need, feasibility, cost and benefit of Community-wide control measures.
(12)
The survey is to provide technical information necessary for the development of Community veterinary legislation including on the use of antimicrobials in zoonoses control programmes in poultry. Given the importance of collecting comparable data on the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in broilers and broiler meat and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter in broiler flocks 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 costs for sampling, travel and administration should not be eligible for any Community financial contribution.
(13)
A financial contribution from the Community should be granted provided that the survey is carried out in accordance with Community law and subject to compliance with certain other conditions.
(14)
A 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 in this Decision.
(15)
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 (7), 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.
(16)
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 a financial contribution from the Community towards a survey to be carried out in the Member States on the prevalence of:
(a)
Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks and their antimicrobial resistance; and
(b)
Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in broiler carcasses.
Article 2
Definitions
For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply:
(a)
‘flock’ means all poultry (such as broiler) of the same health status kept on the same premises or in the same enclosure and constituting a single epidemiological unit; in the case of housed poultry, it includes all birds sharing the same airspace;
(b)
‘slaughter batch’ means a delivery of broilers which have been raised in the same flock to a slaughterhouse on one single day;
(c)
‘competent authority’ means the authority or authorities of a Member State as designated under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8).
Article 3
Zoonoses and zoonotic agents covered by the survey
The Member States shall carry out a survey to assess the prevalence of the following zoonoses and zoonotic agents in samples taken in slaughterhouses selected at random in accordance with Annex I:
(a)
Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks and their antimicrobial resistance;
(b)
Campylobacter spp. in broiler carcasses;
(c)
Salmonella spp. in broiler carcasses;
across the Community sampled in slaughterhouses. Only broilers produced from day one within the Member State shall be included in the survey.
Article 4
Performance of sampling and analyses
1. Sampling shall be performed by the competent authority or under its supervision in accordance with the technical specifications set out in Annex I.
2. National reference laboratories (NRLs) for Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and antimicrobial resistance testing shall perform the relevant parts of the analyses of samples and isolates.
3. However, the competent authority may decide to designate other laboratories involved in official controls of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and antimicrobial resistance testing, to perform the analyses of samples and isolates.
In such cases, the NRLs shall provide support and training to the designated laboratories and ensure that they comply with rules on quality controls by arranging regular ring tests.
The laboratories designated in accordance with the third paragraph of this Article which perform testing must comply which the following conditions:
(a)
they must have proven experience of using the methods required for the testing;
(b)
they must have a quality assurance system complying with EN/ISO standard 17025;
(c)
they must be subjected to the supervision of the relevant NRLs.
Article 5
Conditions for paying a Community financial contribution
1. The Community financial contribution towards the costs for sampling and analyses shall be paid to the Member States up to the maximum total amount for the co-financing set out in Annex II.
2. The Community financial contribution provided for in paragraph 1 shall be paid to the Member States provided that the survey is implemented in accordance with the relevant provisions of Community law, including rules on competition and on the award of public contracts, and subject to compliance with the following conditions:
(a)
the laws, regulations and administrative provisions required to implement the survey must enter into force by 31 December 2007 at the latest;
(b)
a progress report containing the information listed in Part E(1) to Annex I and covering the first three months of the survey shall be submitted to the Commission by 31 May 2008 at the latest;
(c)
a final report on the implementation of the survey containing all information in points 1 and 2 of Part E to Annex I, together with supporting evidence for the costs incurred by the Member States for the sampling and analyses and the results attained during the period from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 shall be submitted to the Commission by 28 February 2009 at the latest; and the evidence as to costs incurred must comprise at least the information set out in Annex III;
(d)
the survey must be implemented effectively.
3. Failure to submit the final report referred to in paragraph 2(c) by 28 February 2009 at the latest shall entail a progressive reduction of the financial contribution to be paid, amounting to 25 % of the total amount by 30 March 2009, 50 % by 30 April 2009 and 100 % by 30 May 2009.
Article 6
Maximum amounts to be reimbursed
The maximum amounts of the Community financial contribution towards the costs to be reimbursed to the Member States for sampling and analyses covered by the survey shall not exceed the following:
(a)
EUR 20 for each detection testing of Campylobacter and Salmonella spp;
(b)
EUR 30 for each confirmation, speciation and enumeration of Campylobacter spp. isolates and the serotyping of Salmonella spp. isolates;
(c)
EUR 30 for antimicrobial testing of Campylobacter isolates from broiler flocks.
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 shall collect and assess the results of the sampling and analyses with regard to the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter carried out pursuant to Article 4 of this Decision and shall report all necessary data and its assessment thereof by the Member States to the Commission by 28 February 2009 at the latest. The results from antimicrobial resistance testing will be reported before the end of May 2009 in the frame of the annual reporting in accordance with Article 9(1) of Directive 2003/99/EC.
2. The Commission shall forward those results obtained during the implementation of the survey together with the national aggregated data and the assessments thereof by the Member States to the European Food Safety Authority, which shall examine them.
Any use of the data submitted by the Member States for the purpose other than the survey shall be subject to prior agreement of the Member States.
3. National aggregated data and results shall be made available publicly 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 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, 19 July 2007.