Commission Decision of 16 December 2009 on a Community financial contribution for 2009 towards expenditure incurred by Member States for certain projects in the field of fisheries control, inspection and surveillance (notified under document C(2009) 9935)

This Decision provides for a Community financial contribution for 2009 towards expenditure incurred by Member States for 2009 in implementing certain projects on monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries policy (CFP), as referred to in Article 8(a) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006. It establishes the amount of the Community financial contribution for each Member State, the rate of the Community financial contribution and the conditions on which such contribution may be granted.

All payments in respect of which a reimbursement is claimed shall be made by the Member State concerned by 30 June 2013. Payments made by a Member State after that deadline shall not be eligible for reimbursement. Unused budgetary appropriations related to this Decision shall be de-committed at the latest by 31 December 2014.

1 Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex I, on the purchase of, installation and technical assistance for, computer technology and setting up of IT networks in order to allow efficient and secure data exchange in connection with monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.

2 In case of expenditure under Annex I that is related to vessel monitoring system (VMS), electronic recording and reporting systems (ERS) or illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the co-finance rate referred to in paragraph 1 is set at 95 %.

1 Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex II, on the purchase and fitting on board of fishing vessels of automatic localisation devices enabling vessels to be monitored at a distance by a fisheries monitoring centre through a VMS shall qualify for a financial contribution of 95 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.

2 The financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be limited to EUR 1500 per vessel.

3 In order to qualify for the financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1, automatic localisation devices shall satisfy the requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003.

Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex III, on the development, purchase, and installation of, as well as technical assistance for, the components necessary for ERS, in order to allow efficient and secure data exchange related to monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 95 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.

1 Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex IV, on the purchase and fitting on board of fishing vessels of ERS devices enabling vessels to record and report electronically to a Fisheries Monitoring Centre data on fisheries activities, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 95 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.

2 The financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be limited to EUR 3000 per vessel, without prejudice to paragraph 4.

3 In order to qualify for a financial contribution, ERS devices shall satisfy the requirements established pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1077/2008.

4 In case of devices combining ERS and VMS functions, and fulfilling the requirements laid down in Regulations (EC) No 2244/2003 and (EC) No 1077/2008, the financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be limited to EUR 4500.

1 Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex V, on training and exchange programmes of civil servants responsible for monitoring, control and surveillance tasks in the fisheries area shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.

2 In case of expenditure under Annex V that takes the form of seminars related to IUU fishing, the co-finance rate referred to in paragraph 1 is set at 95 %.

The total planned expenditure, the total expenditure for projects selected under this Decision, and the total maximum Community contribution per Member State allocated under this Decision are as follows: (in EUR)Member StateExpenditure planned in the national fisheries control programmeExpenditure for projects selected under this DecisionCommunity contributionDenmark363884311437331057867Germany24262821017000828400Ireland1143000800000300000Greece2500000907895525000Spain1069500037830002526000Italy499000031400002897500Latvia156521565214869Netherlands1910000450000427500Portugal743905541716552635194Romania15600156007800Sweden1550000700000600000United Kingdom1153763911161779870Total374771951705569612600000

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Latvia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Portuguese Republic, Romania, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.