2001/486/EC: Commission Decision of 15 June 2001 on Community financial assistance towards the eradication of bluetongue in Italy in 2000 (notified under document number C(2001) 1613)
Date: 2001-06-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, Italy, animal disease, financial aid, health control, sheep

L 176/66

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

29.6.2001

on Community financial assistance towards the eradication of bluetongue in Italy in 2000

COMMISSION DECISION

of 15 June 2001

(notified under document number C(2001) 1613)

(Only the Italian text is authentic)

(2001/486/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(6)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

The measures provided for in this Decision are in
accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary
Committee,

Having regard to Council Directive 2000/75/EC (1) laying down
specific provisions for the control and eradication of blue-
tongue and in particular Articles 6 and 9,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June
1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (2), as last amended
by Decision (EC) No 2001/12/EC (3), and in particular Article
3(3) and (5) thereof,

Article 1

Italy may obtain financial assistance from the Community for
eligible
eradication measures
incurred under
relating to outbreaks of bluetongue which occurred in 2000.

expenditure

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Outbreaks of bluetongue occurred in Italy in 2000. The
onset of
the disease represents a serious danger to
Community stocks. With a view to preventing the
spreading of the disease and contributing to its erad-
ication the Community may contribute to eligible
expenditures incurred by the Member State.

As soon as the presence of bluetongue was officially
confirmed the Italian authorities reported that they had
taken the measures listed in Article 3(2) of Decision
90/424/EEC, when they are adapted to the epidemiolog-
ical specificity of bluetongue.

Pursuant to Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1258/
1999 (4), veterinary and plant health measures under-
taken in accordance with Community rules shall be
financed under the Guarantee Section of the European
Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund. For financial
control purposes, Articles 8 and 9 of Regulation (EC) No
1258/1999 apply.

The financial contribution from the Community shall be
granted provided that the actions planned are efficiently
carried out and that the authorities supply all the neces-
sary information within the time limits laid down.

It is appropriate to clarify the terms ‘swift and adequate
compensation of
farmers’ used in Article 3(2) of
Decision 90/424/EEC and to further define destruction,
cleaning, disinfecting and disinsecting costs used in
Article 3(5) of Decision 90/424/EEC.

(1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 74.
(2) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.
(3) OJ L 3, 6.1.2001, p. 27.
(4) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103.

Article 2

The Community financial contribution shall be paid on

1.
the basis of:

— the supporting documents submitted by Italy on the swift
and adequate compensation of owners for the slaughter,
destruction of animals and, where appropriate, their prod-
ucts for the cleaning, disinsecting and disinfecting of hold-
ings and equipment and for the destruction of the contami-
nated feedingstuffs and contaminated equipment,

— the results of
Article 3.

the Commission checks

referred to in

2.
The documents referred to in paragraph 1 shall include
an epidemiological report covering each holding on which
sheep have been slaughtered and destroyed, and a financial
report.

The financial report shall take account of the categories of the
animals destroyed or slaughtered and destroyed in each farm
due to bluetongue. These reports shall be provided in compu-
terised form in accordance with the model and format
requested by the Commission.

3.
The supporting documents relating to the measures taken
in the period referred to in Article 1 shall be forwarded no later
than 30 June 2001.

For the purposes of this Decision,

4.
‘swift and adequate
compensation’ means animals compensated in the 90 days
after their slaughtering at the value of the animals immediately
before they became affected; ‘destruction, cleaning, disinfecting,
disinsecting costs’ means the costs of purchase, VAT excluded,
of products in order to clean, disinfect and disinsect affected
holdings, and the costs of services in order
to destruct
carcasses.

29.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 176/67

The Commission may make on-the-spot checks, with the cooperation of the competent national authori-
ties, on the application of the above measures and the related expenditure incurred.

The Commission shall

inform the Member States of the results of the checks carried out.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Italian Republic.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 15 June 2001.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission