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 Article 32 thereof,

Whereas:

Certain Member States have submitted programmes to the Commission for which they wish to receive a Community financial contribution. Those programmes concern the eradication and control of certain animal diseases, programmes of checks aimed at the prevention of zoonoses, programmes for the control of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and also programmes for the eradication of bovine spongiform encephalopathies (BSE) and scrapie.

In accordance with Article 3(2)(a) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy^f2, animal disease eradication and control programmes (veterinary measures) are to be financed from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund. For financial control purposes, Articles 9, 36 and 37 of that Regulation are to apply.

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^f3, lays down rules for monitoring and eradication of TSEs in bovine, ovine and caprine animals.

In drawing up the lists of programmes for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases, the list of programmes of checks aimed at the prevention of zoonoses and the list of programmes for the eradication and the monitoring of certain TSEs qualifying for a financial contribution from the Community for 2007, and the proposed rate and maximum amount of the contribution for each programme, the interest of each measure in the programmes for the Community, its compliance with the technical provisions of relevant Community veterinary legislation and the volume of available appropriations must be taken into account.

The Member States have supplied the Commission with information enabling it to assess the interest for the Community of providing a financial contribution to the programmes for 2007.

The Commission has considered each of the programmes submitted from both the veterinary and the financial point of view and is satisfied that those programmes should be included in the lists of programmes qualifying for a financial contribution from the Community in 2007.

In view of the importance of those programmes for the protection of public and animal health, as well as the obligatory application in all Member States in the case of the TSE programmes, the most appropriate level of financial assistance from the Community should be ensured.

It is therefore appropriate to adopt the list of programmes qualifying for a financial contribution from the Community in 2007 and to set the proposed rates and the maximum amount of those contributions.

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: