EN Official Journal of the European Union L 326/29

COMMISSION DECISION

of 29 November 2007

implementing Decision No 573/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the adoption of the strategic guidelines 2008 to 2013

(notified under document number C(2007) 5738)

(Only the Bulgarian, Czech, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish texts are authentic)

(2007/815/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Decision No 573/2007/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 May 2007 establishing a European Refugee Fund for the period 2008 to 2013 as part of the General programme ‘Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows’ and repealing Council Decision 2004/904/EC (1), and in particular Article 17 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The Commission should lay down strategic guidelines setting out a framework for the intervention of the Fund relating to the multi-annual programming period 2008 to 2013.

(2) The guidelines should define the priorities and, in accordance with Article 14(4) of the Decision No 573/2007/EC, the specific priorities which allow the Member States not covered by the Cohesion Fund to have the co-financing of the Community contribution increased to 75 % for projects co-financed by the Fund.

(3) In accordance with Article 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark is not bound by this Decision or subject to its application.

(4) In accordance with Article 3 of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Ireland has notified, by letter of 6 September 2005, its wish to take part in the adoption and application of Decision No 573/2007/EC.

(5) In accordance with Article 3 of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, the United Kingdom has notified, by letter of 27 October 2005, its wish to take part in the adoption and application of Decision No 573/2007/EC.

(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the common Committee ‘Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows’ established by Article 56 of Decision No 574/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the External Borders Fund for the period 2007 to 2013 as part of the General programme ‘Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows’ (2),

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The guidelines setting out the priorities and specific priorities for the multi-annual programming for the period 2008 to 2013 shall be as defined in the Annex.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, Romania, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Done at Brussels, 29 November 2007. For the Commission Franco FRATTINI Vice-President

(1) OJ L 144, 6.6.2007, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 144, 6.6.2007, p. 22.