2006/102/EC: Commission Decision of  7 February 2006  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 2006  (notified under document number C(2006) 250)
Date: 2006-02-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, EU programme, crop production, eligibility criteria, plant disease, plant health control

16.2.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 46/47

COMMISSION DECISION

of 7 February 2006
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 2006

(notified under document number C(2006) 250)

(Only the French text is authentic)

(2006/102/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
(EEC) No
Directive 72/462/EEC and repealing Regulations
525/77 and (EEC) No 3763/91 (Poseidom) (1), and in particular
Article 20(3),

for

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

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

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

for

in the French overseas
Specific growing conditions
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.

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

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

financial

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 for 2006 is hereby approved.

Article 2

The Community’s financial contribution to the programme in
2006 shall be 60 % of expenditure related to eligible measures
as defined by Decision 93/522/EEC, with a maximum of
EUR 249 600 (VAT excluded).

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

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

lation (EC) No 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).

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

(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Article 3

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

Article 4

1.
The eligibility period for the costs related to this project
shall start on 1 January 2006 and end on 31 December 2006.

The period may exceptionally be extended only with the
the Monitoring Committee as
I.I of Annex III before the tasks have

2.
express written agreement of
referred to in point
been completed.

Article 5

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, and that no other Community contribution for
these measures was or will be asked for.

in the second paragraph of point I.II.4 of Annex III shall be
submitted before 15 March 2007.

3.
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 objectives of the programme are not thereby
compromised.

4.
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.

Article 7

The French Republic shall ensure compliance with the infor-
mation to be supplied to the Commission set out in Annex III.

Article 8

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.

The actual expenditure incurred shall be notified to the
1.
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.

2.
The balance of the financial contribution referred to in
Article 3 shall be paid provided that the document specified

Done at Brussels, 7 February 2006.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission

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ANNEX I

PROGRAMME AND FINANCIAL TABLE FOR 2006

The programme for 2006 shall consist of three subprogrammes:

1. an inter-departmental subprogramme for Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana and La Réunion in two parts:

— setting up of a database on harmful organisms present in the French overseas departments,
— development of detection methods for naturally spread citrus psorosis;

2. a subprogramme drawn up for the department of Martinique in two parts:

— plant health evaluation and diagnostics by use of the regional laboratory and its mobile unit (labo vert),
— integrated pest management in fruit and vegetable production;

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

— set up of an agricultural phytosanitary warning system for rice production,
— Stregthening of the diagnosis capacity by the use of the regional

laboratory and its mobile unit (labo vert).

Financial table for 2006

(EUR)

EC contribution

National contribution

Eligible expenditure 2006

Database on harmful organisms

Detection methods for citrus
psorosis

Martinique

Guyana

Total

54 000

30 000

57 600

108 000

249 600

36 000

20 000

38 400

72 000

166 400

90 000

50 000

96 000

180 000

416 000

ANNEX II

COST BREAKDOWN TABLE FOR 2006

Staff

Equipment

Consumables

Other costs

Total

(EUR)

Database on harmful organisms

Detection methods for citrus
psorosis

Martinique

Guyana

76 000

28 500

76 000

155 000

6 000

6 000

2 500

3 000

Total

335 500

17 500

4 000

13 000

4 000

2 500

90 000

50 000

7 500

10 000

96 000

22 000

46 500

0

180 000

16 500

416 000

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Official Journal of the European Union

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ANNEX III

I. PROVISIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT

1. Establishment

I. Monitoring Committee

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

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

to France.

3. Competence of the Monitoring Committee

The Committee:

— shall be generally responsible for the satisfactory progress of the programme towards attainment of the objectives
set. Its competence shall include the programme measures within the limits of the Community aid granted. It shall
monitor those aspects with regard 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, form an opinion

by application of the selection criteria set out in the programme,

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

supplied 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.

II. 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. Continuous monitoring means an information system on the state of progress of the programme. Continuous
monitoring will cover the measures included in the programme. It involves reference to the financial and physical
indicators structured so as to enable assessment of the correspondence between expenditure on each measure and
predefined physical indicators showing the degree of achievement.

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

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 March 2007 at the latest and shall thereafter be presented to the Standing Committee on Plant
Health as soon as possible after that date.

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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 these measures to be 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 the continuous assessment referred to in point 3. He may submit proposals for adjustment of
the subprogrammes and/or measures, and amend the selection criteria for projects, etc., in the light of difficulties
encountered in the course of implementation. On the basis of monitoring of management, he shall give an opinion on
the administrative measures to be taken.

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.

(a) General information:

Protection of the environment

— 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 Envi-

ronment 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 armful effects.