Commission Regulation (EC) No 1040/2002 of 14 June 2002 establishing detailed rules for the implementation of the provisions relating to the allocation of a financial contribution from the Community for plant-health control and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2051/97

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1040/2002
of 14 June 2002
establishing detailed rules for the implementation of the provisions relating to the allocation of a financial contribution from the Community for plant-health control and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2051/97
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community(1), as last amended by Commission Directive 2002/36/EC(2), and in particular the last subparagraph of Article 23(5) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Pursuant to Directive 2000/29/EC, a financial contribution from the Community may be granted to Member States to cover expenditure relating directly to the necessary measures which have been taken or are planned for the purpose of combating harmful organisms introduced from third countries or from other areas in the Community, in order to eradicate or, if that is not possible, to contain them.
(2) Member States may, in particular, request a Community financial contribution for specific measures which they have adopted or planned to adopt to control infections by harmful organisms introduced in their territory. The upper limit of this contribution is 50 % of eligible expenditure.
(3) The application of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2051/97 of 20 October 1997 establishing detailed rules for the implementation of the provisions relating to the allocation of a plant-health control financial contribution from the Community(3) has shown that more detailed rules are necessary, and in particular the requirements concerning the information which Member States must submit to justify a claim for a Community financial contribution should be made more precise.
(4) The new rules should specify the information to be provided by the Member States' applications for the Community financial contribution, in particular evidence of the eradication programme in respect of the harmful organism for which a financial contribution for plant-health control is requested.
(5) In accordance with Article 3(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999(4), 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.
(6) Regulation (EC) No 2051/97 should therefore be repealed.
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health,