COMMISSION DECISION
of 22 June 2010
on a Union financial contribution towards Member States’ fisheries control, inspection and surveillance programmes for 2010
(notified under document C(2010) 3940)
(Only the Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish texts are authentic)
(2010/352/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 of 22 May 2006 establishing Community financial measures for the implementation of the common fisheries policy and in the area of the Law of the Sea (1), and in particular Article 21 thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Member States have submitted to the Commission their fisheries control programme for 2010 together with the applications for a Union financial contribution towards the expenditure to be incurred in carrying out the projects contained in such programme.
(2)
Applications concerning actions listed in Article 8(a) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 may qualify for Union funding.
(3)
Applications for Union funding are to comply with the rules set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No 391/2007 (2).
(4)
It is appropriate to fix the maximum amounts and the rate of the Union financial contribution within the limits set by Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 and to lay down the conditions under which such contribution may be granted.
(5)
In order to encourage investment in the priority actions defined by the Commission in conformity with the Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (3) and in view of the negative impact of the financial crisis on Member States’ budgets, expenditure related to automation and management of data, electronic recording and reporting systems (ERS) and vessel monitoring systems (VMS), as well as to seminars by Member States aiming at enhancing awareness on the new control Regulation as well as on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, should benefit from a high co-financing rate, within the limits laid down in Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006.
(6)
In order to limit the amount dedicated to the purchase and modernisation of fisheries patrol vessels and aircraft, the Union contribution to these expenditure shall be restricted to a maximum amount of EUR 1 Million by Member State.
(7)
In order to qualify for the contribution, automatic localisation devices should satisfy the requirements fixed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003 of 18 December 2003 laying down detailed provisions regarding satellite-based Vessel Monitoring Systems (4).
(8)
In order to qualify for the contribution, electronic recording and reporting devices on board fishing vessels should satisfy the requirements laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1077/2008 of 3 November 2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1966/2006 on electronic recording and reporting of fishing activities and on means of remote sensing and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1566/2007 (5).
(9)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Subject matter
This Decision provides for a Union financial contribution for 2010 towards expenditure incurred by Member States for 2010 in implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries policy (CFP), as referred to in Article 8(a) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006. It establishes the maximum amount of the Union financial contribution for each Member State, the rate of the Union financial contribution and the conditions on which such contribution may be granted.
Article 2
Closure of outstanding commitments
All payments in respect of which a reimbursement is claimed shall be made by the Member State concerned by 30 June 2014. Payments made by a Member State after that deadline shall not be eligible for reimbursement. The budgetary appropriations related to this Decision shall be de-committed at the latest by 31 December 2015.
Article 3
New technologies and IT networks
1. Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex I, on the setting up of new technologies and IT networks in order to allow efficient and secure collection and management of data in connection with monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.
2. Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex I and related to vessel monitoring system (VMS), electronic recording and reporting system (ERS) or illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.
3. Any other expenditure incurred for new technologies and IT networks, in respect of projects referred in Annex I, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits let down in that Annex.
Article 4
Automatic localisation devices
1. Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex II, on 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 financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.
2. The financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be limited to EUR 2 500 per vessel.
3. In order to qualify for the financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1, automatic localisation devices shall satisfy the requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003.
Article 5
Electronic recording and reporting systems
Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex III, on the development, purchase, and installation of, as well as technical assistance for, the components necessary for electronic recording and reporting systems (ERS), in order to allow efficient and secure data exchange related to monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.
Article 6
Electronic recording and reporting devices
1. Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex IV, 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 financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.
2. The financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be limited to EUR 3 000 per vessel, without prejudice to paragraph 4.
3. In order to qualify for a financial contribution, ERS devices shall satisfy the requirements established pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1077/2008.
4. In case of devices combining ERS and VMS functions, and fulfilling the requirements laid down in Regulations (EC) No 2244/2003 and (EC) No 1077/2008, the financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be limited to EUR 4 500.
Article 7
Pilot projects
Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex V, on pilot projects on new control technologies shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.
Article 8
Training and exchange programmes
Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex VI, 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 that Annex.
Article 9
Initiatives raising awareness of CFP rules
1. Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex VIII, on 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 to implement the new control Regulation, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.
2. Any other expenditure incurred for initiatives raising awareness of CFP rules, in respect of projects referred in Annex VIII, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits let down in that Annex.
Article 10
Fisheries patrol vessels and aircraft
1. Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex IX, on 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 for a financial contribution up to 50 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.
2. The financial contribution specified for each Member State in Annex IX shall be 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 11
Total maximum Union contribution per Member State
The planned expenditure, the eligible share thereof, and the maximum Union contribution per Member State are as follows:
(in EUR)
Member State
Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control programme
Eligible expenditure
Maximum Union contribution
Belgium
254 270
254 270
176 343
Bulgaria
195 828
195 828
153 748
Denmark
3 215 749
3 148 559
2 729 961
Germany
6 418 061
1 120 000
893 600
Estonia
239 745
239 745
207 873
Ireland
51 495 000
46 395 000
1 997 500
Greece
18 595 000
7 085 750
5 111 175
Spain
9 563 245
9 153 093
7 735 444
France
4 536 370
3 497 768
2 640 008
Italy
26 650 600
2 625 600
1 312 800
Cyprus
357 800
357 800
318 900
Lithuania
460 001
460 001
404 001
Netherlands
2 809 000
1 616 000
1 424 000
Poland
702 600
696 000
600 000
Romania
593 600
593 600
334 240
Slovenia
510 807
507 649
383 900
Finland
981 000
881 000
766 500
Sweden
2 353 016
2 139 327
1 902 083
United Kingdom
2 164 334
1 408 528
1 036 432
Total
132 096 027
82 375 517
30 128 508
Article 12
Addressees
This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, Ireland, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Lithuania, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Poland, Romania, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Done at Brussels, 22 June 2010.