2007/219/EC: Commission Decision of 30 March 2007 concerning a Community financial contribution towards a baseline survey on the prevalence of Salmonella in slaughter pigs to be carried out in Bulgaria and in Romania (notified under document number C(2007) 1394)

1 A survey shall be carried out to assess the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in Bulgaria and in Romania in slaughter pigs sampled in slaughter houses in those Member States (the survey).

2 The survey shall cover a period from 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007.

3 For the purposes of this Decision, ‘the competent authority’ shall be the authority or authorities of a Member State, as designated under Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003.

The sampling and analysis for the purposes of the survey shall be performed by the competent authority or under its supervision in accordance with the technical specifications set out in Annex I.

1 The competent authority shall collect and assess the results achieved pursuant to Article 2 of this Decision and shall report all necessary aggregated data and its assessment thereof to the Commission. The Commission shall forward those results together with the national aggregated data and assessments done by the Member States to the European Food Safety authority, which shall examine them.

2 The national aggregated data and results referred to in paragraph 1 shall be made available publicly in a form that ensures confidentiality.

1 A Community financial contribution shall be granted to Bulgaria and Romania for the costs incurred by them for laboratory testing, i.e. for the bacteriological detection of Salmonella spp., and the serotyping of the relevant isolates and serology.

2 The maximum Community financial contribution shall be: (a) EUR 20 per test for bacteriological detection of Salmonella spp.; (b) EUR 30 per test for serotyping of the relevant isolates. However, the Community financial contribution shall not exceed the amounts set out in Annex II.

1 The financial contribution provided for in Article 4 shall be granted to Bulgaria and to Romania provided that the survey is implemented in accordance with the relevant provisions of Community law, including the rules on competition and on the award of public contracts, and subject to compliance with the following conditions: (a) the laws, regulations and administrative provisions required to implement the survey shall come into force by 1 April 2007 at the latest; (b) a progress report covering the first three months of the survey shall be forwarded by 31 July 2007; the progress report shall contain all information requested in Annex I; (c) a final report shall be forwarded by 31 October 2007 at the latest, on the technical execution of the survey, together with supporting evidence for the costs incurred and the results attained during the period 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007; the supporting documents concerning the costs incurred shall comprise at least the information set out in Annex III; (d) the survey shall be implemented effectively.

2 An advance payment of 50 % of the total amount referred to in Annex II may be paid at the request of Bulgaria or of Romania.

3 Failure to comply with the time limits provided for in paragraph 1(c) shall entail a progressive reduction of the Community financial contribution to be paid, amounting to 25 % of the total amount by 15 November 2007, 50 % by 1 December 2007 and 100 % by 15 December 2007.

For reasons of administrative efficiency all expenditure presented for a financial contribution by the Community should be expressed in euro. In accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 1913/2006 of 20 December 2006 laying down detailed rules for the application of the agrimonetary system for the euro in agriculture and amending certain regulations , the conversion rate for expenditure in a currency other than the euro should be the rate most recently set by the European Central Bank prior to the first day of the month in which the application is submitted by the Member State concerned.

This Decision shall apply from 1 April 2007.

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria and to Romania.