Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities^f1, and in particular Article 49(6), points (a) and (b) thereof,

Having regard to Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of the Commission of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities^f2, and in particular Article 90 thereof,

Whereas:

This Decision constitutes a financing decision within the meaning of Article 75 of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 and of Article 90 of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002.

The Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010 identifies as one area of action the upgrading existing minimum standards for animal protection and welfare in line with new scientific evidence and socioeconomic assessments as well as securing efficient enforcement^f3.

The European Parliament allocated EUR 4 million in the 2008 Community budget to a preparatory action on control posts (resting points). The present network of control posts does not meet the actual needs of transporters as control posts are missing in certain locations and a number of existing control posts are of poor quality standards despite official controls.

There is a need to determine, through stakeholders consultation and technical expertise, quality criteria for control posts as defined in the Community legislation and which strategies European wide should be developed to improve their use by transporters. A preparatory action including the building or renovating of high standard control posts in at least three Member States which have significant traffic flows of animals should be launched.

The European Parliament allocated EUR 1 million in the 2008 Community budget to launch a pilot project in order to develop improved animal production methods and to focus on alternatives to the castration of pigs and alternatives to the dehorning of cattle.

Concerning pig castration, this pilot project should complement ongoing research on castration and focus on its practical consequences by developing a programme establishing a European harmonised method to detect boar taint at the slaughter line under commercial conditions and to assess the commercial aspects of marketing meat from non-castrated animals. The development of such methods will encourage farmers to raise uncastrated animals and establish reliable and consistent data for further development of different alternatives to surgical castration (immunocastration, in particular). A second part of the study will look in depth into alternatives to the dehorning of cattle.

One project is foreseen to perform the preparatory action and one action for the pilot project. The financing of these actions should be subject to a single decision.

These actions are to form part of the further development of Community animal welfare legislation and will also support the actions identified in the Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010^f4,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: