2004/128/EC: Commission Decision of 23 January 2004 on financial assistance from the Community for the storage of antigens for production of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines in France, Italy and the United Kingdom in 2004 (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2004) 102)

Commission Decision
of 23 January 2004
on financial assistance from the Community for the storage of antigens for production of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines in France, Italy and the United Kingdom in 2004
(notified under document number C(2004) 102)
(Only the French and Italian texts are authentic)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2004/128/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), and in particular Article 14 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) In accordance with Council Decision 91/666/EEC of 11 December 1991 establishing Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines(2), the establishment of antigen banks is part of the Community's action to create Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines.
(2) Decision 91/666/EEC designates the "Laboratoire de pathologie bovine du Centre national d'études vétérinaires et alimentaires" at Lyon in France, which is now part of the "Agence Française de Securité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA)", and the "Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale die Brescia" in Italy, as antigen banks for the storage of Community reserves.
(3) Commission Decision 2000/111/EC of December 1999 designating a new antigen bank and making provisions for the transfer and storage of antigens within the framework of the Community action concerning reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines(3) further designates Merial S.A.S., Pirbright, United Kingdom.
(4) Community assistance should be linked to compliance with certain conditions as to the functioning of the antigen banks and the transmission of information and supporting documents.
(5) For budgetary reasons the Community assistance should be granted for a period of one year.
(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,