Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 2000/439/EC of 29 June 2000 on a financial contribution from the Community towards the expenditure incurred by Member States in collecting data and for financing studies and pilot projects for carrying out the common fisheries policy^f1, and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,

Whereas:

Decision 2000/439/EC lays down the conditions whereby the Member States may receive a contribution from the Community for expenditure incurred in their national programmes as provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000 of 29 June 2000 establishing a Community framework for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy^f2. Under that decision the Commission, on the basis of the information provided by the Member States, decides each year on the eligibility of the expenditure forecast by the Member States and on the amount of the financial assistance from the Community.

The Commission has received the annual submissions of the national programmes from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom that describe the data they intend to collect between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000. They have also submitted applications for a financial contribution for the expenditure referred to in Article 4 of Decision 2000/439/EC.

Pursuant to Article 6 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1639/2001 of 25 July 2001 establishing the minimum and extended Community programmes for the collection of data in the fisheries sector and laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000^f3, the Commission has examined Member States' national programmes for 2006 and has assessed the eligibility of the expenditures on the basis of those programmes. A first instalment should be delivered to the Member States concerned in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of Decision 2000/439/EC on the basis of that assessment.

A second instalment is to be forwarded, in 2007, following the transmission and acceptance by the Commission of a financial and technical report of activity detailing the state of completion of the aims set at the time of drawing-up the minimum and extended programmes, in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of Decision 2000/439/EC and Article 6(2) of Regulation 1639/2001.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: