2003/494/EC: Commission Decision of 3 July 2003 on a financial contribution from the Community towards the eradication of classical swine fever in Spain at the end of 2001 and in 2002

Commission Decision
of 3 July 2003
on a financial contribution from the Community towards the eradication of classical swine fever in Spain at the end of 2001 and in 2002
(Only the Spanish text is authentic)
(2003/494/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field(1), as last amended by Council Regulation No 806/2003(2), and in particular Article 3(3) and Article 5(3) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Outbreaks of classical swine fever occurred in Spain in 2001 and 2002. The emergence of this disease represents a serious risk to the Community's livestock population.
(2) With a view to helping to eradicate the disease as rapidly as possible, the Community may contribute financially to eligible costs incurred by the Member State, as provided for in Decision 90/424/EEC.
(3) Pursuant to Article 3(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the financing of the common agricultural policy(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. The auditing of these measures comes under Articles 8 and 9 of the said Regulation.
(4) The payment of the Community financial contribution must be subject to the condition that the planned activities were actually implemented and the authorities provide all the necessary information within certain deadlines.
(5) On 7 October 2002, Spain submitted an official request for reimbursement for all the expenditure incurred on its territory.
(6) It is now time to set the amount of an advance on the Community financial contribution, pending checks carried out by the Commission. This advance must be 50 % of the Community contribution calculated on the basis of the number of pigs culled (222594) at a unit cost of EUR 100 and limiting, for the moment, the "other costs" to 10 % of the amount of this reimbursement.
(7) The terms "swift and adequate compensation of the livestock farmers" used in Article 3 of Decision 90/424/EEC, "reasonable payments" and "justified payments" and the categories of eligible expenditure under "other costs" associated with the compulsory slaughter must all be defined.
(8) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,