2007/516/EC: Commission Decision of 19 July 2007 concerning a financial contribution from the Community towards a survey on the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks and on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in broiler carcasses to be carried out in the Member States (notified under document number C(2007) 3440)

This Decision lays down rules on a financial contribution from the Community towards a survey to be carried out in the Member States on the prevalence of: (a) Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks and their antimicrobial resistance; and (b) Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in broiler carcasses.

For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply: (a) ‘flock’ means all poultry (such as broiler) of the same health status kept on the same premises or in the same enclosure and constituting a single epidemiological unit; in the case of housed poultry, it includes all birds sharing the same airspace; (b) ‘slaughter batch’ means a delivery of broilers which have been raised in the same flock to a slaughterhouse on one single day; (c) ‘competent authority’ means the authority or authorities of a Member State as designated under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council .

The Member States shall carry out a survey to assess the prevalence of the following zoonoses and zoonotic agents in samples taken in slaughterhouses selected at random in accordance with Annex I: (a) Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks and their antimicrobial resistance; (b) Campylobacter spp. in broiler carcasses; (c) Salmonella spp. in broiler carcasses; across the Community sampled in slaughterhouses. Only broilers produced from day one within the Member State shall be included in the survey.

1 Sampling shall be performed by the competent authority or under its supervision in accordance with the technical specifications set out in Annex I.

2 National reference laboratories (NRLs) for Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and antimicrobial resistance testing shall perform the relevant parts of the analyses of samples and isolates.

3 However, the competent authority may decide to designate other laboratories involved in official controls of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and antimicrobial resistance testing, to perform the analyses of samples and isolates. In such cases, the NRLs shall provide support and training to the designated laboratories and ensure that they comply with rules on quality controls by arranging regular ring tests. The laboratories designated in accordance with the third paragraph of this Article which perform testing must comply which the following conditions: (a) they must have proven experience of using the methods required for the testing; (b) they must have a quality assurance system complying with EN/ISO standard 17025; (c) they must be subjected to the supervision of the relevant NRLs.

1 The Community financial contribution towards the costs for sampling and analyses shall be paid to the Member States up to the maximum total amount for the co-financing set out in Annex II.

2 The Community financial contribution provided for in paragraph 1 shall be paid to the Member States provided that the survey is implemented in accordance with the relevant provisions of Community law, including 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 must enter into force by 31 December 2007 at the latest; (b) a progress report containing the information listed in Part E(1) to Annex I and covering the first three months of the survey shall be submitted to the Commission by 31 May 2008 at the latest; (c) a final report on the implementation of the survey containing all information in points 1 and 2 of Part E to Annex I, together with supporting evidence for the costs incurred by the Member States for the sampling and analyses and the results attained during the period from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 shall be submitted to the Commission by 28 February 2009 at the latest; and the evidence as to costs incurred must comprise at least the information set out in Annex III; (d) the survey must be implemented effectively.

3 Failure to submit the final report referred to in paragraph 2(c) by 28 February 2009 at the latest shall entail a progressive reduction of the financial contribution to be paid, amounting to 25 % of the total amount by 30 March 2009, 50 % by 30 April 2009 and 100 % by 30 May 2009.

The maximum amounts of the Community financial contribution towards the costs to be reimbursed to the Member States for sampling and analyses covered by the survey shall not exceed the following: (a) EUR 20 for each detection testing of Campylobacter and Salmonella spp; (b) EUR 30 for each confirmation, speciation and enumeration of Campylobacter spp. isolates and the serotyping of Salmonella spp. isolates; (c) EUR 30 for antimicrobial testing of Campylobacter isolates from broiler flocks.

1 The competent authority responsible for preparing the yearly national report pursuant to Article 9(1) of Directive 2003/99/EC shall collect and assess the results of the sampling and analyses with regard to the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter carried out pursuant to Article 4 of this Decision and shall report all necessary data and its assessment thereof by the Member States to the Commission by 28 February 2009 at the latest. The results from antimicrobial resistance testing will be reported before the end of May 2009 in the frame of the annual reporting in accordance with Article 9(1) of Directive 2003/99/EC.

2 The Commission shall forward those results obtained during the implementation of the survey together with the national aggregated data and the assessments thereof by the Member States to the European Food Safety Authority, which shall examine them. Any use of the data submitted by the Member States for the purpose other than the survey shall be subject to prior agreement of the Member States.

3 National aggregated data and results shall be made available publicly in a form that ensures confidentiality.

Where a Member State’s expenditure is in a currency other than the euro, the Member State concerned shall convert it into euro by applying the most recent exchange rate set by the European Central Bank prior to the first day of the month in which the application is submitted by the Member State.

This Decision shall apply from 1 January 2008.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.