2008/361/EC: Commission Decision of 6 May 2008 on the financial contribution of the Community for the year 2008 for the computerisation of veterinary procedures, the Animal disease notification system, communication measures and studies and evaluations
Date: 2008-05-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, animal disease, animal health, computer system, dissemination of information, food safety, information policy, information technology applications, veterinary legislation

L 120/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

7.5.2008

COMMISSION DECISION

of 6 May 2008

on the financial contribution of the Community for the year 2008 for the computerisation of
the Animal disease notification system, communication measures and
veterinary procedures,

studies and evaluations

(2008/361/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June
1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (1), and in particular
Articles 17, 20, 37(2) and 37a(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

the

down

90/424/EEC lays

the Community's

procedures
Decision
contribution
governing
in particular as
towards specific veterinary measures,
regards
animal health,
information policy for
animal welfare and food safety, technical and scientific
measures and control.

financial

the

the

computerisation of

Article 37a(1)(b) of Decision 90/424/EEC provides that a
Community financial contribution may be granted for
the
veterinary procedures
relating to hosting, management and maintenance of
integrated computerised veterinary systems,
including
interfaces with national databases, where appropriate. A
Community financial contribution should therefore be
granted for the hosting, management and maintenance
of
system
computerised
TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System), introduced
by Commission Decision 2003/24/EC of 30 December
2002 concerning the development of an integrated
computerised veterinary system (2),
in order to ensure
that the system is available, secure and updated.

integrated

veterinary

the

systems

Article 37(1) of Decision 90/424/EEC provides that the
introduction of
identifying animals and
for
notifying diseases under legislation concerning veterinary
checks in intra-Community trade in live animals, with a
view to the completion of
the internal market, may
receive Community financial assistance. A Community
financial contribution should therefore be granted in
order to update the animal disease notification system
(ADNS), based on Commission Decision 2005/176/EC

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

of 1 March 2005 laying down the codified form and the
codes for the notification of animal diseases pursuant to
Council Directive 82/894/EEC (3), with the necessary
technical improvements.

the European Parliament,

The Communication from the Commission to the
Council,
the Economic and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
on a new Animal Health Strategy for the European
Union (2007-2013) where ‘Prevention is better than
cure’ (4)
(‘the Communication on a new animal health
strategy’) provides that
the Commission is committed
to improve communication towards consumers and
stakeholders.

animal welfare

Article 16 of Decision 90/424/EEC provides that
the
Community is to make a financial contribution to the
establishment of an information policy in the field of
animal health,
and food safety in
products of animal origin. A Community financial contri-
bution should therefore be granted for the implemen-
tation of measures aimed at improving communication
towards consumers and stakeholders in the field of
animal health and animal welfare in the framework of
the Communication on a new animal health strategy.

to Article 19 of Decision 90/424/EEC,

the
Pursuant
Community may undertake, or
the Member
States or international organisations in undertaking, the
technical and scientific measures necessary for the deve-
lopment of Community veterinary legislation and for the
development of veterinary education or training.

assist

the expected outcomes of

The gradual introduction of electronic identification for
the
ruminants is one of
strategy. As a consequence, a study addressing cost-
benefit and cost-effectiveness issues related to the elec-
tronic identification of cattle is necessary before intro-
to
ducing new legislation in this
improve the role of the Community reference labora-
tories an evaluation of their functioning and performance
is deemed necessary. The outcome of these studies and
evaluations will be the basis for legislative review in this
if deemed necessary. A Community financial
fields
contribution should therefore be granted to fund

In order

field.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. Decision as last amended by Regulation

(3) OJ L 59, 5.3.2005, p. 40. Decision as amended by Decision

(EC) No 1791/2006 (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1).

2006/924/EC (OJ L 354, 14.12.2006, p. 48).

(2) OJ L 8, 14.1.2003, p. 44.

(4) COM(2007) 539 final.

7.5.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 120/19

Article 3

Communication in the fields of animal health and animal
welfare

A Community financial contribution is granted for communi-
cation measures towards competent authorities and citizens,
aimed at disseminating information on Community legislation
in the fields of animal health and animal welfare,
for the
following amounts:

(a) EUR 2 500 000 in the field of animal health;

(b) EUR 150 000 in the field of animal welfare.

Article 4

Studies and evaluations

A Community financial contribution of a maximum amount of
EUR 300 000 is granted for
following studies and
evaluations:

the

(a) cost-benefit study on the electronic identification of cattle;

(b) evaluation of the Community reference laboratories in the

field of animal health and zootechnics.

Article 5

Appropriations

1.
The financial contributions provided for in Articles 1 to 4
shall be financed through the budget line 17 04 02 01 of the
budget of the European Communities for 2008.

2.
The actions mentioned in Article 4 will be carried out by
two specific contracts. These two specific contracts will be
signed during 2008.

Done at Brussels, 6 May 2008.

For the Commission

Androulla VASSILIOU
Member of the Commission

studies and evaluations in the areas of food safety, animal
health and welfare and zootechnics. The maximum
amount
to be allocated to those actions should be
specified. Calls for tender are to be launched in 2008
for carrying out, under specific contracts, studies and
evaluations in the areas of food safety, animal health
and welfare and zootechnics. Under Council Regulation
(EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of
the common agricultural policy (1), veterinary measures
the European Agricultural
are to be financed under
Guarantee Fund. For financial control purposes, Articles
9, 36 and 37 of that Regulation are to apply.

The payment of
the financial contribution from the
Community must be subject to the condition that the
actions have actually been carried out and that
the
contractors supply all the necessary information.

The measures provided for
accordance with
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

opinion

the

of

(8)

(9)

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

TRACES (Trade Control and Expert system)

A Community financial contribution is granted for the hosting,
system,
management
introduced by Decision 2003/2/EC, for the following amounts
and objectives:

and maintenance of

the TRACES

(a) EUR 1 000 000 for the hosting;

(b) EUR 500 000 for the acquisition of the necessary logistical
support within the framework of assistance to the users;

(c) EUR 300 000 for the purchase of maintenance support
needed in order to bring the system in line with legal and
technical developments;

(d) EUR 200 000 for the necessary data processing develop-

ments;

(e) EUR 250 000 for the development of the interface between

the national bovine identification databases.

Article 2

ADNS (Animal disease notification system)

A Community financial contribution of EUR 270 000 is
granted for
the animal disease notification
the update of
system based on Decision 2005/176/EC.

(1) OJ L 209, 11.8.2005, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1437/2007 (OJ L 322, 7.12.2007, p. 1).