2003/265/EC: Commission Decision of 10 April 2003 on financial assistance to the Community reference laboratory for classical swine fever for the evaluation of a new classical swine fever discriminatory test (notified under document number C(2003) 1190)
Date: 2003-04-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal plague, balance of payments assistance, research body, swine, testing

15.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 97/81

COMMISSION DECISION

of 10 April 2003

on financial assistance to the Community reference laboratory for classical swine fever for the
evaluation of a new classical swine fever discriminatory test

(notified under document number C(2003) 1190)

(Only the German text is authentic)

(2003/265/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(8)

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 19 and
20 thereof,

Whereas:

For financial assistance to the Community reference
laboratory for classical swine fever for 2003 the rules
laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 324/2003
of 20 February 2003 establishing the eligibility criteria
for the expenditure of the Community reference labora-
tories receiving financial assistance under Article 28 of
Decision 90/424/EEC and establishing the procedures
for the submission of expenditure and the conduct of
audits (5) should apply.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

Classical swine fever is one of the most serious pig
diseases, which has caused very serious economic losses
in the Community in the last decade.

Marker vaccines against classical swine fever have been
developed which in principle might be used as an addi-
tional tool for the eradication of that disease following
outbreaks, and for the prevention of massive culling of
pigs.

Rules on the use of classical swine fever vaccines and
related discriminatory tests and the list and duties of the
Community and national references laboratories are laid
down in Council Directive 2001/89/EC of 23 October
2001 on Community measures for the control of clas-
sical swine fever (3) and in Commission Decision 2002/
106/EC of 1 February 2002 approving a Diagnostic
Manual establishing diagnostic procedures,
sampling
methods and criteria for evaluation of the laboratory
tests for the confirmation of classical swine fever (4).

The use of marker vaccines is currently hampered by the
lack of a reliable discriminatory test able to distinguish
between vaccinated animals and the infected ones.

A new discriminatory test has recently been developed
by a private company, Intervet. That test needs further
independent evaluation and eventual validation in order
that the Commission may approve it in the framework
of Directive 2001/89/EC, if appropriate.

It is appropriate that such evaluation is carried out by
the Community reference laboratory in cooperation with
the national reference laboratories in the Member States.

Intervet is to provide, free of charge, the national swine
fever laboratories in the Member States and the Commu-
nity reference laboratory with an adequate amount of
reagents which are necessary for the evaluation of the
new test.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.
(2) OJ L 203, 28.7.2001, p. 16.
(3) OJ L 316, 1.12.2002, p. 5.
(4) OJ L 39, 9.2.2001, p. 71.

(9)

It is appropriate to financially support the relevant work
of the Community reference laboratory, as it may contri-
bute to the development of Community legislation on
classical swine fever and to a better control of
the
disease.

(10) Under Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 on the
financing of the common agricultural policy (6), veter-
inary and plant health measures undertaken in accor-
dance with Community rules are to be financed under
the European Agricultural
the Guarantee Section of
Guidance and Guarantee Fund;
for financial control
purposes, Articles 8 and 9 of Council Regulation (EC)
No 1258/1999 apply.

(11)

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 Community shall grant

1.
the Community reference
laboratory for classical swine fever (hereinafter referred to as
CRL) financial assistance for the evaluation of the new classical
swine fever discriminatory test developed by Intervet.

2.
The CRL shall carry out the validation of the test in coop-
eration with the national reference laboratories for classical
swine fever
in the Member States and shall provide the
Commission with the results of this work not later than 30
June 2003.

(5) OJ L 47, 21.2.2003, p. 14.
(6) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103.

L 97/82

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

15.4.2003

Article 2

Article 4

The Community's financial assistance to the CRL for the work
referred to in Article 1 shall cover the costs incurred for staff
and the purchase of reagents other than those provided free of
charge by Intervet and shall not exceed EUR 30 000.

This Decision is addressed to the CRL, Institut für Virologie,
der Tierärztlichen Hochschule, Hannover, Bünteweg 17, D-
30559 Hannover.

Article 3

The Community's financial assistance shall be paid following
presentation by the CRL of a technical and financial report and
appropriate supporting documents. These documents shall be
presented to the Commission by 30 September 2003 at the
latest.

Done at Brussels, 10 April 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission