Introductory text

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^f1, and in particular Article 24(5) and (6) thereof,

Whereas:

Commission Decision 2004/696/EC of 14 October 2004 on the list of programmes for the eradication and the monitoring of certain TSEs qualifying for a financial contribution from the Community in 2005^f2 sets out the list of such programmes, as well as the proposed rate and amount of the contribution for each programme.

Commission Decision 2004/863/EC of 30 November 2004 approving the TSE eradication and monitoring programmes of certain Member States for 2005 and fixing the level of the Community’s financial contribution^f3.

On 28 January 2005, a Community expert panel, chaired by the Community Reference laboratory for TSEs (CRL), confirmed the detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a goat slaughtered in France. It was the first case of BSE in a small ruminant under natural conditions.

In its statement of 28 January 2005, the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stressed that the significance of that single case of BSE infection in a goat in France is yet to be assessed. In order to do so, the EFSA indicated that the results of an increased monitoring of TSEs in goats are essential.

In response to that statement, Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies^f4, as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 214/2005^f5, introduced a new programme for the monitoring of TSE in caprine animals starting from 11 February 2005. Under that new monitoring programme, the numbers of healthy slaughter and dead-on-farm caprine animals to be tested have been substantially increased.

Due to the particularities of the goat meat sector, the limited value of goats above 18 months of age for slaughter purposes, and in the light of the importance of an effective implementation of the increased monitoring to assess the prevalence of BSE in caprine animals, it is appropriate to increase the amount per test to be reimbursed to the Member States by the Community up to a maximum amount of EUR 30 per rapid test performed in caprine animals.

In addition, Regulation (EC) 999/2001, as amended Commission Regulation (EC) No 36/2005^f6 sets out the compulsory systematic discriminatory testing to differentiate BSE from scrapie in all TSE cases detected in ovine and caprine animals to apply from 14 January 2005. That measure should be considered as eligible for the Community’s financial contribution to the TSE monitoring and eradication programmes in the Member States.

In the light of the importance to assess the prevalence of BSE in small ruminants for the achievement of Community objectives in the field of public and animal health it is appropriate to reimburse 100% of the costs paid by the Member States for the primary molecular tests to differentiate BSE from scrapie.

Therefore, it is necessary to revise the maximum amount of financial participation by the Community for each programme, as set out in Decisions 2004/696/EC and 2004/863/EC.

Decision 2004/863/EC sets out the conditions for the Community’s financial contribution, including the forwarding of a monthly report to the Commission by the concerned Member States on the progress of the TSE monitoring programmes and the cost paid. The Annex to that sets out the costs to be paid. That Annex should be amended to take account of amendments to Annexes III and X to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 36/2005 and No 214/2005.

Decisions 2004/696/EC and 2004/863/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: