COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 26 March 2019

on the financing of the ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ programme and the adoption of the work programme for 2019

(2019/C 117/03)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 (1), and in particular Article 110 thereof,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 652/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 laying down provisions for the management of expenditure relating to the food chain, animal health and animal welfare, and relating to plant health and plant reproductive material, amending Council Directives 98/56/EC, 2000/29/EC and 2008/90/EC, Regulations (EC) No 178/2002, (EC) No 882/2004 and (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decisions 66/399/EEC, 76/894/EEC and 2009/470/EC (2), and in particular Article 36(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council (3), which lays down general rules for the performance of official controls, allows the Commission to organise training courses for the staff of the competent authorities of Member States responsible for the official controls concerned, which may also be opened to participants from third countries, in particular developing countries. Those courses may include, in particular, training on European Union feed and food law and animal health and animal welfare rules.

(2) Council Directive 2000/29/EC (4) constitutes the legal basis for organising training courses in the field of plant health.

(3) The ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ Programme (5) has been established by the Commission in 2006 in order to achieve the aims set out in Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. The Commission Communication of 20 September 2006 on ‘Better training for safer food’ explains the need for better training in relation to feed and food, animal and plant health and explores options for the future organisation of training activities.

(4) Regulation (EU) No 652/2014 establishes provisions for the management of expenditure from the general budget of the European Union in the fields governing food and feed safety, animal health and welfare and plant health rules. Article 31 of that Regulation provides that the Union may finance the training of the staff of the competent authorities responsible for official controls in order to develop a harmonised approach to official controls and other official activities to ensure a high level of protection of human, animal and plant health.

(5) In order to ensure the implementation of the ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ Programme, it is necessary to adopt an annual financing decision, which constitutes the annual work programme on training in the field of food and feed safety, animal health, animal welfare and plant health for 2019. Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 (‘the Financial Regulation’) establishes detailed rules on financing decisions.

(6) The ‘Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency’ (‘the Agency’), established by Commission Implementing Decision 2013/770/EU (6), should be entrusted with management and programme implementation tasks relating to the food safety training measures performed pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 and Directive 2000/29/EC.

(7) It is necessary to allow for the payment of interest due for late payment on the basis of Article 116(5) of the Financial Regulation.

(8) In order to allow for flexibility in the implementation of the work programme, it is appropriate to allow changes which should not be considered substantial for the purposes of Article 110(5) of the Financial Regulation.

(9) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1 The work programme The annual financing decision, constituting the annual work programme for the implementation of the ‘Better Training for Safer Food’ Programme for the year 2019, as set out in the Annex, is adopted.

Article 2 Union contribution The maximum Union contribution for the implementation of the programme for 2019 is set at EUR 18 000 000 and shall be financed from the appropriations entered in budget line 17 04 03 of the general budget of the Union. The appropriations provided for in the first paragraph may also cover interest due for late payment.

Article 3 Flexibility clause Cumulated changes to the allocations to specific actions not exceeding 20 % of the maximum Union contribution set out in the first paragraph of Article 2 of this Decision shall not be considered to be substantial for the purposes of Article 110(5) of the Financial Regulation, where those changes do not significantly affect the nature of the actions and the objective of the work programme. The increase of the maximum Union contribution set in the first paragraph of Article 2 of this Decision shall not exceed 20 %. The authorising officer responsible may apply the changes referred to in the first paragraph. Those changes shall be applied in accordance with the principles of sound financial management and proportionality.

Done at Brussels, 26 March 2019. For the Commission Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 1.

(3) 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 (OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1).

(4) Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community (OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1).

(5) Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament ‘Better training for safer food’, COM(2006) 519 final of 20 September 2006.

(6) Commission Implementing Decision 2013/770/EU of 17 December 2013 establishing the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency and repealing Decision 2004/858/EC (OJ L 341, 18.12.2013, p. 69).