COUNCIL DECISION of 8  December 1995 on a Community financial contribution towards certain expenditure incurred by the  Member States implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries  policy (95/527/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43  thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission  (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament  (2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee  (3),
Whereas Council Decision 89/631/EEC of 27 November 1989 on a Community financial contribution  towards expenditure incurred by Member States for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the  Community system for the conservation and management of fishery resources  (4), and in particular  Article 1 (5) thereof, provides that before 30 June 1995 the Council must adopt the provisions for  Community financial assistance which could apply from 1 January 1996;
Whereas the common fisheries policy, which guarantees the long-term existence of fishery stocks and  thus employment in the sector, can achieve its objectives only if its rules are complied with and  effectively controlled;
Whereas those objectives and rules are primarily established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92  of 20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture  (5) and by  Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 of 12 October 1993 establishing a control system applicable to  the common fisheries policy  (6);
Whereas the Member States, by guaranteeing the implementation of the control system applicable to  the common fisheries policy, are carrying out an obligation of Community interest;
Whereas for some Member States the scale of the enforcement task is unrelated to budget capacity  and may in certain cases constitute a disproportionate burden;
Whereas it is therefore appropriate to provide for a contribution by the Community towards certain  inspection and monitoring expenditure incurred by some Member States;
Whereas Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 685/95 of 27 March 1995 on the management of the  fishing effort relating to certain Community fishing areas and resources  (7) provides for  additional Community financial support for Ireland, including support for operating expenditure,  for the purposes of improving controls, with due regard for authorized Community practices and in  the framework of financial guidelines;
Whereas the total Community contribution should remain within the limits of a budget provision of  ECU 205 million for a period of five years (1996-2000); whereas the corresponding financial  resources should be entered as annual appropriations in the general budget of the European  Communities;
Whereas any such contribution should be conditional on the attainment, by the Member States which  are beneficiaries, of a satisfactory standard of enforcement both at sea and on land; whereas the  effectiveness of the enforcement must be made apparent in the annual report referred to in Article  35 of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93,
1.  The Community may, under the conditions set out in this Decision,  contribute to the financing of certain expenditure by Member States relating to the implementation  of the control system applicable to the common fisheries policy provided for in Regulation (EEC) No  2847/93. Expenditure covering the following may be regarded as eligible:
(a)  the acquisition or modernization of inspection and control equipment;
(b)  specific measures intended to improve the quality and effectiveness of the monitoring of  fishing and related activities, the duration of which does not exceed two years.
The expenditure referred to in the first subparagraph must contribute to the mobilization of  monitoring facilities in accordance with Article 1 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93.
2.  The Community contribution shall relate to eligible expenditure incurred by Member States  between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2000.
'Eligible expenditure` shall mean the costs arising from legal and financial undertakings entered  into by competent authorities within the above period.
3.  The Community funding of the measures introduced by this Decision shall cover a five-year  period (1996-2000). The financial reference illustrating the will of the legislative authority for  the implementation of the actions covered by this Decision shall be ECU 205 million.
The financial statement shall be revised each year on the basis, especially, of the appropriations  decided by the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure.
4.  The budgetary authority shall determine the available appropriations for each financial year.  The Community contribution shall be granted within the limits of the appropriations allocated to  that end in the Community budget.
1.  The financial contribution referred to in Article 1 (1) (a) shall cover investment  expenditure relating to the acquisition or modernization of:
-  vessels, aircraft and land vehicles employed in the monitoring and control of fishing  activities;
-  systems for the detection and recording of fishing activities (including equipment installed on  fishing vessels);
-  systems for the recording, management and transmission of data relating to controls, including  computer applications and software.
The expenditure referred to in the first subparagraph shall be eligible to the extent that it is  actually used for the implementation of the control system referred to in Article 1.
2.  The financial contribution referred to in Article 1 (1) (b) shall cover eligible expenditure  which is intended to increase the effectiveness of the application of the common fisheries policy  and relates to measures and projects not exceeding two years in duration and having at least one of  the following purposes:
(a)  the implementation of joint inspection programmes as referred to in Article 2 (4) of  Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93;
(b)  experiments with, and the introduction of, new technologies to improve the monitoring of  fishing and related activities;
(c)  the implementation of specific control programmes established by Community initiative and  carried out by the Member State(s) concerned;
(d)  programmes to computerize the processing and exchange of data developed by joint agreement  between several Member States and, where appropriate, the Commission;
(e)  other control measures of Community interest to be adopted at a later date.
3.  In addition, the financial contribution referred to in Article 1 (1) (b) may relate to eligible  expenditure intended for the training of national officials connected with control activities, in  particular in a Member State other than that in which they work.
Detailed rules for the application of this paragraph shall be adopted in accordance with Article 18  of Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92.
1.  For any Member State in any year, the Community financial contribution shall not be  lower than 35  % or higher than 50  % of the eligible expenditure.
2.  Notwithstanding paragraph 1, the Commission may decide to grant a higher rate, in particular in  order to permit:
-  the realization of a joint measure by Member States and the Commission likely to remedy control  difficulties affecting an area of special Community interest,
-  experiments with, and the introduction of, new technologies to improve the monitoring of fishing  and related activities.
The annual budget allocation reserved for such measures shall be limited to 15  % of the budget  allocation.
3.  Notwithstanding paragraph 1, the Commission may decide to grant a higher rate in order to  provide for additional financial support for the purpose of improving controls, as defined in  Article 2 (1), including support for the following operating expenditure:
-  remuneration of national officials connected with monitoring and control activities and  occupying additional posts created after 1 January 1996 within the framework of a detailed  programme, for the duration of the programme, and relating to the inspection and control of  specific fisheries and zones; for the purposes of this paragraph, 'remuneration` shall mean the  salaries and travel allowances of the officials concerned necessary for the carrying out of their  duties, less taxes and charges, levied in accordance with national legislation,
-  costs relating to training and providing information for the national officials connected with  control activities,
-  costs incurred as a result of controls entrusted to surveillance companies,
-  costs relating to equipment of national officials connected with control activities,
-  running costs associated with items purchased under Article 2 (1).
The financial support for operating expenditure for Ireland shall be granted up to a total amount  of ECU 3 million per annum.
1.  Member States wishing to benefit from a financial contribution shall forward to the  Commission, no later than 15 November 1995:
(a)  a five-year programme describing the controls which they intend to carry out during the period  referred to in Article 1 (2). The control programme must contain in particular the objectives of  the proposed control and inspection measures, the envisaged operational measures and the  anticipated results;
(b)  a programme of forecast annual expenditure for the period referred to in Article 1 (2) for  which they wish to receive a financial contribution from the Community.
2.  Each Member State shall forward to the Commission, for the first time in 1996 and each year  thereafter, a report on progress achieved with regard to forecasts and to the need to adjust the  control programme. That report shall form a special chapter in the report referred to in Article 35  of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93.
3.  The information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 must enable the Commission to ensure adequate  monitoring of the expenditure relating to the implementation of the control system applicable to  the common fisheries policy.
1.  Member States wishing to benefit from a Community financial contribution towards  the expenditure referred to in Article 2 shall forward to the Commission, on the first occasion no  later than 15 November 1995 and subsequently no later than 30 June of each year, an application for  funding for the following year containing the information specified in points 1 and 2 of the Annex.  Applications received after those dates shall not be considered except in exceptional, duly  justified cases.
2.  The application for funding must be drawn up within the framework of the programmes referred to  in Article 4.
On the basis of information provided by the Member States, the Commission shall decide,  for the first time before 15 March 1996 and subsequently before 31 December of each year, in  accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 18 of Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92, on:
-  the eligibility of the planned expenditure,
-  the rate of the Community contribution,
-  any conditions to which the contribution may be subject.
At the reasoned request of a Member State, the Commission may grant advances up to a  maximum of 50  % of the Community's annual contribution. That advance shall be deducted from the  final amount of the Community contribution to the eligible expenditure actually incurred.
Should a Member State decide not to realize all or part of the expenditure which the  Commission has deemed eligible, in accordance with Article 6, it shall inform the Commission  thereof without delay giving details of the impact on its control programme.
1.  Member States shall present their applications for reimbursement of expenditure no  later than 31 May of the year following that in which the expenditure was incurred.
2.  When submitting an application for the reimbursement of expenditure, Member States should  verify and certify that the expenditure was carried out with due regard to the conditions laid down  in this Decision, in particular point 4 of the Annex.
3.  If the application reveals indications that the conditions set out in paragraph 2 have not been  complied with, the Commission shall undertake a thorough examination of the case by asking the  Member State to forward its comments within a specific time limit. If the examination confirms that  the conditions have not been complied with, the Commission shall set a suitable time limit for  compliance by the Member State. If, when the time limit has expired, the Member State has not acted  on the recommendations, the Commission may reduce, suspend or cancel its contribution in the area  of assistance concerned.
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Member States shall provide the Commission with any information which it may request  for the performance of its duties under this Decision.
Member States shall provide the Commission with any information which will enable it to verify the  use of the surveillance and control facilities which have been the subject of a Community financial  contribution pursuant to this Decision.
If the Commission considers that the facilities are not being used for the intended purpose or in  accordance with the conditions set out in this Decision, it shall inform the Member State  accordingly. The Member State shall then conduct an administrative inquiry in which Commission  officials may participate. The Member State shall inform the Commission of the progress and results  of the inquiry and provide the Commission without delay with a copy of the report of the inquiry  and the principal data used in preparing it.
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The Commission may carry out any checks which it deems necessary to ensure that the  conditions and tasks imposed on the Member States by this Decision are fulfilled, and the Member  States shall provide assistance to the staff appointed by the Commission for this purpose.
The provisions of this Article shall be without prejudice to Article 29 of Regulation (EEC) No  2847/93.
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This Decision is addressed to the Member States.