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) and Article 32 thereof,

Whereas:

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^f2, includes rules for the monitoring of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in bovine, ovine and capine animals. That Regulation provides for an extension of the monitoring of sheep.

Commission Decision 2005/723/EC of 14 October 2005 on programmes for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases, of certain TSEs, and for the prevention of zoonoses, which qualify for a Community financial contribution in 2006^f3 sets out the list of such programmes, as well as the proposed rate and amount of the financial contribution by the Community for each programme.

Commission Decision 2005/873/EC of 30 November 2005 approving programmes for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases, of certain TSEs, and for the prevention of zoonoses presented by the Member States for the year 2006^f4 sets out the financial contribution by the Community for the programmes by the Member States for the monitoring of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

On 8 March 2006, a panel of experts on TSEs in small ruminants, chaired by the Community reference laboratory for TSEs, confirmed that the presence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in those animals cannot be excluded following the results of the second stage of discriminatory testing of brain samples of two sheep from France and one sheep from Cyprus. Further testing is necessary to exclude the presence of BSE in such animals.

In the light of the importance of an effective implementation of the increased monitoring to assess the prevalence of BSE in ovine 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 ovine animals, in line with the cost per rapid test performed in caprine animals.

Following the detection of its first case of BSE in Sweden, Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 increased the testing levels in bovine animals in that Member State. It is therefore appropriate to increase the level of the Community's financial contribution for programmes for the monitoring of TSEs in Sweden, as provided for in Decisions 2005/723/EC and 2005/873/EC.

Decisions 2005/723/EC and 2005/873/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: