2005/241/: Commission Decision of 14 March 2005 on the Community's financial contribution to a programme for the control of organisms harmful to plants and plant products in the French overseas departments for 2004 (notified under document number C(2005) 603)
Date: 2005-03-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, French overseas department and region, parasitology, plant disease, plant health treatment

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Official Journal of the European Union

19.3.2005

COMMISSION DECISION

of 14 March 2005

on the Community's financial contribution to a programme for the control of organisms harmful to
plants and plant products in the French overseas departments for 2004

(notified under document number C(2005) 603)

(Only the French text is authentic)

(2005/241/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1452/2001 of 28
June 2001 introducing specific measures for certain agricultural
the French overseas departments, amending
products
Directive 72/462/EEC and repealing Regulations
(EEC) No
525/77 and (EEC) No 3763/91 (Poseidom) (1), and in particular
Article 20(3),

for

Having regard to the programmes submitted by France for the
control of organisms harmful to plants or plant products in the
French overseas departments,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Commission Decision 93/522/EEC of 30 September
the measures eligible for
1993 on the definition of
Community financing in the programmes
the
control of organisms harmful
to plants or plant
in the
products in the French overseas departments,
Azores and in Madeira (2) defines the measures eligible
for Community financing under programmes for the
to plants and plant
control of organisms harmful
the
products
Azores and Madeira.

French overseas departments,

in the

for

Specific growing conditions
in the French overseas
departments call for particular attention and measures
concerning crop production,
in particular plant health
measures, must be adopted or strengthened in those
regions.

The plant health measures to be adopted or strengthened
are particularly costly.

A programme of measures has been presented to the
Commission by the competent French authorities; this
programme specifies the objectives to be achieved, the
operations to be carried out, their duration and their cost
with a view to a possible Community financial contri-
bution.

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

According to Article 20(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No
1452/2001 the Community's financial contribution may
cover up to 60 % of eligible expenditure, protective
measures for bananas being excluded.

In accordance with Article 3(2) of Council Regulation
(EC) No 1258/1999 (3), veterinary and plant health
measures undertaken in accordance with Community
rules shall be financed under the Guarantee section of
the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund.
Financial control of these measures comes under Articles
8 and 9 of the above Regulation.

technical

information provided by France has
The
enabled the Standing Committee on Plant Health to
analyse the situation accurately and comprehensively.

The measures provided for
accordance with
Committee on Plant Health,

the

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

of

opinion

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

A Community financial contribution to the official programme
for the control of organisms harmful
to plants and plant
products in the French overseas departments presented by the
French Republic for 2004 is hereby approved.

Article 2

The official programme shall consist of three subprogrammes:

1. an

inter-departmental

subprogramme

for Martinique,

Guadeloupe, Guyana and La Réunion in two parts:

— pest risk analysis for certain invasive plants relevant to

the French overseas departments,

(1) OJ L 198, 21.7.2001, p. 11. Regulation as last amended by

Regulation 1690/2004, (OJ L 305, 1.10.2004, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 251, 8.10.1993, p. 35. Decision as last amended by Decision

96/633/EC (OJ L 283, 5.11.1996, p. 58).

— detection methods for viroids of citrus;

(3) OJ L160, 26.6.1999, p. 103.

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2. a subprogramme drawn up for the department of Martinique

Article 6

in four parts:

— plant health evaluation and diagnostics by use of the
regional laboratory and its mobile unit (labo vert)

— strategy for the control of

the corn earworm in the

tomato crop,

— set up of a database on phytosanitary practices

in

sugarcane, vegetables and fruit production,

— integrated farming in fruit production: citrus and guava,
inventory of pests and phytosanitary practices, publi-
cation of technical sheets;

3. a subprogramme drawn up for the department of Guyana:

— plant health evaluation and diagnostics by use of the
(labo vert),
laboratory and its mobile unit

regional
promotion of good agricultural practices.

Article 3

The Community’s financial contribution to the programme
presented by the French Republic in 2004 shall be 60 % of
expenditure
as defined by
Commission Decision 93/522/EEC, with a maximum of EUR
187 800 (VAT excluded).

related to eligible measures

The schedule of programme costs and their financing is set out
as Annex I to this Decision.

The financial contribution by the Community shall be granted
provided that the implementation of the programme shall be in
conformity with the relevant provisions of Community law,
including rules of competition and on the award of public
contracts.

Article 7

The actual expenditure incurred shall be notified to the
Commission broken down by type of action or subprogramme
in a way demonstrating the link between the indicative financial
plan and expenditure actually incurred. Such notifications may
be in electronic form.

The balance of the financial contribution referred to in Article 3
shall be paid provided that
the document specified in the
second subparagraph of the third paragraph of point I.B(4) of
Annex III shall be submitted before 30 September 2005.

The Commission may, on duly justified request of the French
Republic, adjust the financing plans within a limit of 15 % of
the Community contribution to a subprogramme or measure
for the entire period, provided that the total amount of eligible
costs scheduled in the programme is not exceeded and that the
main
thereby
compromised.

programme

objectives

not

the

are

of

All payments of aid granted by the Community under this
Decision shall be made to the French Republic, which will
also be responsible for repayment to the Community of any
excess amount.

The breakdown of costs is set out as Annex II to this Decision.

Article 8

Article 4

An advance of EUR 100 000 shall be paid within 60 days after
reception of a request of payment by France.

The French Republic shall ensure compliance with the financial
provisions, with Community policies and the information to be
supplied to the Commission set out in Annex III.

Article 9

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.

The eligibility period for the costs related to this project shall
start on 1 October 2004 and end on 30 September 2005.

Done at Brussels, 14 March 2005.

The period of execution of the actions may exceptionally be
extended only with the express written agreement of the Moni-
toring Committee as referred to in point I.A of Annex III before
the tasks have been completed.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission

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ANNEX I

FINANCIAL TABLE FOR 2004

EC contribution

National contribution

Eligible expenditures 2004

(euro)

Pest risk analysis — invasive pests

Detection methods for viroids

Martinique

Guyana

54 000

19 500

75 300

39 000

36 000

13 000

50 200

26 000

Total

187 800

125 200

90 000

32 500

125 500

65 000

313 000

ANNEX II

COST BREAKDOWN TABLE FOR 2004

Staff

Equipment

Consumables

Other costs

Total

(euro)

Pest risk analysis — invasive pests

Detection methods for viroids

Martinique

Guyana

85 000

18 000

93 000

50 000

0

3 000

6 500

0

Total

246 000

9 500

3 000

8 000

20 000

5 000

36 000

2 000

3 500

6 000

10 000

21 500

90 000

32 500

125 500

65 000

313 000

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I. Provisions on the implementation of the programme

ANNEX III

MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT

A. Monitoring Committee

1. Establishment

Independent of the financing of this action, a monitoring committee for the programme shall be set up,
the
representatives of France and the Commission.
composed of
programme regularly and, in appropriate cases, propose any adjustments required.

review implementation of

shall

It

2. The Committee shall establish its own internal procedures within one month of the notification of the present

decision to France.

3. Competence of Monitoring Committee

The Committee:

— shall have as its general responsibility the satisfactory progress of the programme towards attainment of the
objectives set. Its competence shall embrace the programme measures within the limits of the Community
aid granted. It shall keep watch with respect to the regulatory provisions, including those on eligibility of
operations and projects,

— shall, on the basis of information on the selection of projects already approved and implemented, reach an

opinion on application of the selection criteria set out in the programme,

— shall propose any action required to accelerate implementation of the programme should the information

furnished periodically by the interim monitoring and assessment indicators reveal a delay,

— shall give its opinion on the adjustments proposed to the Commission,

— shall issue an opinion on technical assistance projects scheduled in the programme,

— shall give its opinion on the final report,

— shall report during the relevant period to the Standing Committee on Plant Health on the progress of the

programme and expenditure incurred.

B. Monitoring and assessment of the programme during the implementation period (continuous monitoring and assessment)

1. The national agency responsible for implementation shall also be responsible for continuous monitoring and

assessment of the programme.

2. By continuous monitoring is meant an information system on the state of progress of the programme.
Continuous monitoring will cover the measures contained in the programme. It involves reference to the
financial and physical indicators structured so as to permit assessment of the correspondence between expen-
diture on each measure and predefined physical indicators showing the degree of realization.

3. Continuous assessment of a programme will involve analysis of the quantitative results of implementation on
legal and procedural considerations. The purpose is to guarantee correspondence

the basis of operational,
between measures and programme objectives.

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Implementation report and scrutiny of programme

4. France shall notify to the Commission, within one month of adoption of the programme, the name of the

authority responsible for compilation and presentation of the final implementation report.

The final implementation report on the present programme will be presented by the competent authority to the
Commission on 15 October 2005 at the latest and shall thereafter be presented to the Standing Committee on
Plant Health as soon as possible after that date.

It shall contain:

— a concise technical evaluation of the entire programme (degree of achievement of physical and qualitative
objectives and of progress accomplished) and an assessment of the immediate phytosanitary and economic
impact,

— a financial cost statement, including expenditure and income, and a declaration from France stating that no
other Community contribution was or will be asked for for these measures included in the programme.

5. The Commission may jointly with France call

in an independent assessor who shall, on the basis of the
continuous monitoring, carry out
referred to in point 3. He may submit
proposals for adjustment of the subprogrammes and/or measures, and amending the selection criteria for
projects, etc., in the light of difficulties encountered in the course of implementation. On the basis of moni-
toring of management he shall give an opinion on the administrative measures to be taken.

the continuous assessment

II. Compliance with Community policies

The programme shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions on coordination of and compliance with
Community policies. The following information must be supplied by France in the final report.

PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT

(a) General information

— description of the main environmental features and problems of the region concerned, giving,

inter alia, a

description of the important conservation areas (sensitive zones),

— a comprehensive description of the major beneficial and harmful effects that the programme, given the

investments planned, is likely to have on the environment,

— a description of the action planned to prevent, reduce or offset any serious harmful effects on the environment,

— a report on consultations with the responsible environmental authorities (opinion of the Ministry for the

Environment or its equivalent) and, if there were any such consultations, with the public concerned.

(b) Description of planned activities

For programme measures liable to have a significantly harmful effect on the environment:

— the procedures which will be applied for assessing individual projects during implementation of

the

programme,

— the mechanisms planned for monitoring environmental impact during implementation, assessing results and

eliminating, reducing or offsetting harmful effects.