2002/953/EC: Commission Decision of 5 December 2002 on a Community financial contribution to emergency measures to control foot-and-mouth disease in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and amending Decision 2001/300/EC (notified under document number C(2002) 4806)
Date: 2002-12-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Community body, EU aid, co-financing, cooperation policy, foot-and-mouth disease, vaccination

6.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 330/39

COMMISSION DECISION

of 5 December 2002

on a Community financial contribution to emergency measures to control foot-and-mouth disease
in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and amending Decision 2001/300/EC

(notified under document number C(2002) 4806)

(2002/953/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June
1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (1), as last amended
by Decision 2001/572/EC (2), and in particular Articles 12 and
13 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Foot-and-mouth disease, due to types A, O and ASIA 1,
is endemic in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and
bordering countries. The presence of different types and
subtypes of the foot-and-mouth disease virus and the
emergence of new antigenically distinct viruses in that
area constitute a threat to the Community and jeopardise
the Community-supported efforts of Turkey to control
the disease.

The Community, in close cooperation with the European
Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease
(EUFMD) and the Office international des épizooties
(OIE), supported campaigns of emergency vaccination
against foot-and-mouth disease in Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia in 1999 and 2000 by the use of Trust Fund
911100/MTF/INT/003/EEC. This support was discon-
tinued due to shortcomings identified during a joint
mission in these countries by experts from the Commis-
sion and the EUFMD in 2000.

In early 2002 representatives of the Commission, the
EUFMD, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
and the OIE, together with the chief veterinary officers
of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia elaborated a
programme for the establishment of a vaccination belt
along the southern borders of those countries in order
to enhance the protection of Turkey from the incursion
of the foot-and-mouth disease.

(4) With a view to preventing the spread of foot-and-mouth
disease, the Community should contribute to emergency
measures to control that disease in Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia.

regard to activities

The amount provided for
in Commission Decision
2001/300/EC of 30 March 2001 on Community coop-
eration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation with
carried out by the
particular
European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-
Mouth Disease (3), and the Implementing Agreement
concluded in accordance with that Decision, is insuffi-
cient to cover the expenses provided for by this Deci-
sion. The total Community contribution to Trust Fund
911100/MTF/INT/003/EEC should therefore be increased
by the amount necessary to carry out the joint EC/
EUFMD/OIE programme for the control of
foot-and-
mouth disease in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

(6)

(7)

(8)

The Implementing Agreement concluded between the
European Commission and the FAO should be amended
to take into account the amendments made to Decision
2001/300/EC.

Decision 2001/300/EC should therefore be amended
accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Funds contained in Trust Fund 911100/MTF/INT/003/EEC,
provided for in Decision 2001/300/EC, shall be used for the
following measures:

(a) the purchase of 1 000 000 doses of Al(OH)3-adjuvated
trivalent vaccine against the foot-and-mouth disease virus
of types O1, A-Iran 96 and ASIA1 with a potency of 6
PD50;

(b) the delivery of the doses of the vaccine referred to in point
(a) to the central veterinary authorities of Armenia, Azer-
baijan and Georgia for emergency vaccination in the
districts along their southern borders of susceptible animals
in accordance with the vaccination programme to be set up
by letter of agreement between the veterinary authorities of
those countries and the European Commission for the
Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EUFMD);

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.
(2) OJ L 3, 6.1.2001, p. 27.

(3) OJ L 102, 12.4.2001, p. 71.

L 330/40

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Official Journal of the European Communities

6.12.2002

(c) on-the-spot supervision of the vaccination campaign and
organisation of a serological surveillance by an expert
appointed by EUFMD;

(d) the supply of test kits for the detection of antibodies against
non-structural proteins, the monitoring of the vaccination
campaign and the substantiation of the disease situation.

Article 2

For the measures referred to in Article 1, the Commission shall
transfer to Trust Fund 911100/MTF/INT/003/EEC the addi-
tional amount of USD 650 000.

be set at a maximum of EUR 2 450 000 for a period of
four years from that date.’

2. Article 2(3) is replaced by the following:

The Director-General of

‘3.
the Health and consumer
protection Directorate-General shall be authorised to sign
the Implementing Agreement referred to in paragraph 1 on
behalf of the Commission. He shall also be authorised to
conclude with the FAO an amended Implementing Agree-
ment in order to take account of the amendments made to
Article 1(2).’

Article 3

Article 5

The Director-General of the Health and consumer protection
Directorate-General shall be authorised to make the necessary
arrangements for the implementation of the measures provided
for in Article 2, with the EUFMD of the Food Agriculture Orga-
nisation (FAO).

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 5 December 2002.

Decision 2001/300/EC is amended as follows:

1. Article 1(2) is replaced by the following:

‘2.
As from 1 January 2001, the financial obligation of
the Community to the fund referred to in paragraph 1 shall

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission