Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 adopting a programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008)^f1, and in particular Article 8(1), thereof,

Whereas:

Article 8(1) of Decision No 1786/2002/EC provides for the adoption by the Commission of an annual plan of work for the implementation of the programme of public health, setting out priorities and actions to be undertaken, including allocation of resources, and for adoption of the arrangements, criteria and procedures for selecting and financing the actions of the programme.

By Commission Decision 2007/102/EC^f2 the work plan for 2007 has been adopted.

Article 115 of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities^f3 and Article 167 of Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002^f4 require that the eligibility, selection and award criteria are specified in advance in the call for proposals with the aim of making it possible to assess the quality of the proposals submitted in the light of the objectives and priorities set out in the annual work programme.

The ‘General principles and criteria for the selection and funding of actions under the Public Health Programme’ referred to in the Annex of this decision should therefore be adopted. Annex II of Decision C(2005) 29 of 14 January 2005 adopting the work plan for 2005 for the implementation of the programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008), including the annual work programme for grants and the general principles and criteria for the selection and funding of actions under the Public Health Programme is therefore replaced by the Annex to this Decision.

The ‘General principles and criteria for the selection and funding of actions under the Public Health Programme’, as set out in the Annex are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on the programme of Community action in the field of public health,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: