2008/567/EC: Commission Decision of 4 July 2008 concerning the financial contribution by the Community, for the year 2008, towards actions of the OIE in the area of animal welfare and animal disease surveillance and categorisation
Date: 2008-07-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU action, EU financing, animal disease, animal health, animal welfare, shareholding

10.7.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 181/55

COMMISSION DECISION

of 4 July 2008

concerning the financial contribution by the Community, for the year 2008, towards actions of the
OIE in the area of animal welfare and animal disease surveillance and categorisation

(2008/567/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
Article 20 thereof,

(5)

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Pursuant to Decision 90/424/EEC, the Community may
undertake, or assist the Member States or international
organisations in undertaking, the technical and scientific
measures necessary for the development of Community
veterinary
the development of
legislation and for
veterinary education or training.

The Community Action Plan on the Protection and
Welfare of Animals 2006-2010 identified the need for
continuing the support and initiating further interna-
to raise awareness and to
tional activities in order
create a greater consensus on animal welfare as one of
the five main areas of action.

responsible

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is the
intergovernmental
for
organisation
improving animal health worldwide. In 2005, the OIE
adopted guidelines on animal welfare concerning the
transport of animals by land and sea, the slaughter of
animals for human consumption and the humane killing
of animals for disease control. The OIE intends to further
develop those guidelines, to adopt new guidelines and to
the guidelines already
support
adopted by OIE member countries,
in particular by
providing training and guidance.

the implementation of

The planned training and communication events of the
OIE are necessary for the development of veterinary legis-
lation in force, and also the development of veterinary
education and training, in all the participating countries.
The improvements in third countries are strictly linked to
the development of Community veterinary legislation
and to the need for such legislation to be effective in

respond to the wish of

reaching its aims. Furthermore, the planned trainings and
communication events
the
majority of European citizens (2) that the animal welfare
conditions in countries exporting to the Community are
to those applied in the Community. The
equivalent
the
Community should therefore contribute towards
financing of these events.

The Second OIE Global Conference on Animal Welfare
‘Putting the OIE standards to work’ aims at supporting
the worldwide implementation of OIE guidelines for sea
and land transport of livestock,
livestock slaughter for
human consumption and killing for disease control.
to raise the profile of
The conference also intends
animal welfare and to encourage veterinarians and
veterinary services
responsibility for
to take greater
animal welfare.

(6)

(7)

(8)

The Second OIE Global Conference on Animal Welfare
might have a considerable influence on the development
of Community veterinary legislation. Its aims are in line
with the aims laid down in the Community Action Plan
on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010. It
is therefore appropriate to make a Community financial
contribution to the OIE conference.

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 EU (2007 to
2013) describes prioritisation of EU intervention as one
of the pillars of the new animal health strategy. In this
context a study on the cost of surveillance and categor-
isation of animal diseases in the framework of the OIE
follow-up of the Global Animal Health Initiative, would
provide with information to help to categorise animal
diseases and prioritise surveillance measures.

The OIE has a de facto monopoly in its sector, as
mentioned in Article 168(1)(c) of Commission Regu-
lation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December
2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation
of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on
the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget
the European Communities (3); hence a call
for
of
proposals is not required.

(2) Special Eurobarometer 270: Attitudes of EU citizens towards Animal

Welfare, http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/survey/
sp_barometer_aw_en.pdf, p. 32.

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

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

(3) OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-
lation (EC, Euratom) No 478/2007 (OJ L 111, 28.4.2007, p. 13).

L 181/56

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.7.2008

(9)

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

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

opinion

the

of

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

for the financing of a
A Community financial contribution,
training seminar on the implementation of the OIE guidelines
on animal welfare, organised by the World Organisation for
Animal Health (OIE), of
a
Community co-financing of at maximum 65 % of the total
eligible costs is approved.

EUR 100 000 constituting

Article 2

A Community financial contribution, for the financing of the
Second OIE Global Conference on Animal Welfare ‘Putting the
OIE standards to work’, organised by the OIE in 2008, of EUR
200 000 constituting
at
a Community
maximum 50 % of the total eligible costs is approved.

co-financing of

Article 3

A Community financial contribution,
for the financing of a
study on the cost of surveillance and categorisation of animal

diseases by the OIE in 2008, of EUR 200 000 constituting a
Community co-financing of at maximum 67 % of the total
eligible costs is approved.

Article 4

The financial contributions provided for in Articles 1, 2 and 3
shall be financed through the budget line 17 04 02 01 of the
budget of the European Communities for 2008.

A grant agreement for the financial contributions provided for
in Articles 1, 2 and 3 will be awarded to the OIE without a call
for proposals as the OIE is the intergovernmental organisation
for improving animal health worldwide and has a de facto
monopoly.

Done at Brussels, 4 July 2008.

For the Commission

Androulla VASSILIOU
Member of the Commission