(8)

Article 24 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 24 1. A Community financial measure shall 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 the Annex (programmes). The list in the Annex may be amended in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 41, in particular with regard to emerging animal diseases which pose a risk for animal health and, indirectly, to public health, or in the light of new epidemiological or scientific evidence. 2. Each year, by 30 April at the latest, Member States shall submit to the Commission the annual or multi-annual programmes starting in the following year for which they wish to receive a financial contribution from the Community. Programmes submitted after 30 April shall not be eligible for financing the following year. The programmes submitted by the Member States shall contain at least the following: (a) a description of the epidemiological situation of the disease before the date of the beginning of the programme; (b) a description and demarcation of the geographical and administrative area in which the programme is to be applied; (c) the likely duration of the programme, the measures to be applied and the objective to be attained by the completion date of the programme; (d) an analysis of the estimated costs and the anticipated benefits of the programme. The detailed criteria including those involving more than one Member State, shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 41. In each multi-annual programme submitted by the Member State, the information required in accordance with the criteria referred to in this paragraph shall be provided for each year of duration of the programme. 3. The Commission may invite a Member State to submit a multi-annual programme or to extend the duration of a submitted annual programme as appropriate where multi-annual programming is deemed necessary in order to ensure a more efficient and effective eradication, control and monitoring of a particular disease, in particular with regard to potential threats to animal health and, indirectly, to public health. The Commission may coordinate the regional programmes involving more than one Member State in cooperation with the Member States concerned. 4. The Commission shall assess the programmes submitted by the Member States from both the veterinary and the financial angle. The Member States shall communicate to the Commission relevant additional information the latter requires for its assessment of the programme. The period for gathering all the information regarding the programmes shall end on 15 September each year. 5. Each year by 30 November at the latest, the following shall be approved in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 42: (a) the programmes, where appropriate amended to take account of the assessment provided for in paragraph 4; (b) the level of the financial contribution from the Community; (c) the upper limit of the financial contribution from the Community; (d) any conditions to which the financial contribution from the Community may be subject. Programmes shall be approved for no longer than six years. 6. Amendments of the programmes shall be approved in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 42. 7. For each approved programme the Member States shall submit the following reports to the Commission: (a) intermediate technical and financial reports; (b) by 30 April each year at the latest, an annual detailed technical report including the assessment of the results achieved and a detailed account of expenditure incurred for the previous year. 8. Payment applications relating to the expenditure incurred by a Member State in respect of a given programme for the previous year shall be submitted to the Commission by 30 April at the latest. In case of late payment applications, the Community financial contribution shall be reduced by 25 % on 1 June, 50 % on 1 August, 75 % on 1 September and 100 % on 1 October of that year. By 30 October each year at the latest, the Commission shall decide on the Community payment taking account of the technical and financial reports submitted by the Member State in accordance with paragraph 7. 9. Commission experts may carry out on-the-spot checks in cooperation with the competent authority, in so far as it is necessary to ensure uniform application of this Decision in accordance with Article 45 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules (6). In carrying out such checks, Commission experts may be assisted by a group of experts set up in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 41. 10. Detailed rules for the application of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 41. 11. Member States may allocate funds within the operational programmes drawn up in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 (7) for the eradication of the diseases in aquaculture animals referred to in the Annex. The funds shall be allocated in accordance with the procedures laid down in this Article, with the following adjustments: (a) the rate of aid shall be in accordance with the rate laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006; (b) paragraph 8 of this Article shall not apply. The eradication shall be carried out in accordance with Article 38(1) of Council Directive 2006/88/EC of 24 October 2006 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals (8), or under an eradication programme.