Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Decision 2009/470/EC of 25 May 2009 on expenditure in the veterinary field^f1, and in particular Article 27(5) and (6) thereof,

Whereas:

Decision 2009/470/EC lays down the procedures governing the Union financial contribution for programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of animal diseases and zoonoses.

Commission Decision 2008/341/EC^f2 provides that in order to be approved under the Union financial measure provided for in Article 27(1) of Decision 2009/470/EC, programmes submitted by the Member States to the Commission for the eradication, control and monitoring of the animal diseases and zoonoses listed in Annex I to that Decision are required to meet at least the criteria set out in the Annex to Decision 2008/341/EC.

Commission Decision 2008/897/EC^f3 approved the German programme for the eradication of koi herpes virus disease for the period of 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013.

Commission Implementing Decision 2012/761/EU^f4 approves certain national programmes for the year 2013 and sets out the rate and maximum amount of the Union financial contribution for each programme submitted by the Member States.

Spain and Greece have submitted an amended programme for the control of certain zoonotic salmonella in poultry populations. Germany has submitted an amended programme for the eradication of koi herpes virus disease. Greece has submitted an amended programme for the eradication of ovine and caprine brucellosis. Hungary and Romania has submitted an amended programme for the eradication of rabies.

The Commission has assessed those amended programmes from both a veterinary and a financial point of view. They comply with relevant Union veterinary legislation and in particular with the criteria set out in the Annex to Decision 2008/341/EC. They should therefore be approved.

Furthermore, the Commission has assessed the intermediate technical and financial reports submitted by the Member States in accordance with Article 27(7) of Decision 2009/470/EC on the expenditure they incurred for the financing of those programmes. The results of that assessment show that certain Member States will not utilise their full allocation for the year 2013, while others will spend in excess of the allocated amount.

The Union financial contribution for certain national programmes therefore needs to be adjusted. In order to optimise the use of the earmarked credit, it is appropriate to reallocate funding from national programmes which will not use their full allocation to those that are expected to exceed it due to unforeseen animal health situations in those Member States. The reallocation should be based on the most recent information on the expenditure actually incurred by the Member States concerned.

That reallocation exercise requires many amendments to be made to certain Union financial contributions provided for by Implementing Decision 2012/761/EU. For reasons of transparency, it is appropriate to specify the whole range of Union financial contributions towards the approved 2013 programmes concerned by those amendments.

Furthermore, recent experience has shown that the execution to the letter of Article 13(3) of Implementing Decision 2012/761/EU could lead to inequitable results. Therefore, that provision should be deleted.

Implementing Decision 2012/761/EU 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: