2013/512/EU: Commission Implementing Decision of 17 October 2013 concerning a financial contribution by the Union to certain Member States to support voluntary surveillance studies on honeybee colony losses for the season 2013–2014 (notified under document C(2013) 6742)

1 The Union shall grant Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom financial assistance for their surveillance study programs on honeybee colony losses.

2 The financial contribution by the Union (a) shall be at the rate of 70 % of the eligible costs to be incurred by each Member State referred to in paragraph 1 for the surveillance study programmes on honeybee colony losses and specified in Annex I for the period from 1 July 2013 to 30 September 2014; (b) shall not exceed the following: (1) EUR 26837 for Belgium, (2) EUR 116417 for Denmark, (3) EUR 160445 for Germany, (4) EUR 64868 for Estonia, (5) EUR 78421 for Greece, (6) EUR 148047 for Spain, (7) EUR 288801 for France, (8) EUR 142212 for Italy, (9) EUR 86310 for Latvia, (10) EUR 70273 for Lithuania, (11) EUR 114209 for Hungary, (12) EUR 128015 for Poland, (13) EUR 29159 for Portugal, (14) EUR 92240 for Slovakia, (15) EUR 117416 for Finland, (16) EUR 74389 for Sweden, (17) EUR 109871 for the United Kingdom, (c) shall not exceed EUR 348 per visit of an apiary.

1 The maximum overall contribution authorised by this Decision for the costs incurred for the programmes referred to in Article 1 is set at EUR 1847930 to be financed from the General Budget of the European Union.

2 Expenditure relating to staff costs for performing laboratory tests, sampling or monitoring, and to consumables and overheads dedicated to the surveillance studies shall be eligible in accordance with the rules set out in Annex III.

3 The Union’s financial assistance shall be paid following presentation and approval of the reports and supporting documents referred to Article 3(2) and (3).

1 The programs shall be carried out in accordance with the technical document ‘Basis for a pilot surveillance project on honey bee colony losses’ and in accordance with the surveillance study programs on honeybee colony losses presented by the Member States.

2 Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom shall submit to the Commission: no later than 1 March 2014 an intermediate technical report on the first visit provided for in the surveillance study program, and no later than 31 October 2014 a final technical report on the second and third visits provided for in the surveillance study program, the technical report should be in conformity to a model to be established by the Commission in cooperation with the EU Reference Laboratory for bee health.

3 Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom shall submit to the Commission: no later than 31 December 2014, a paper version and an electronic version of their financial report drawn up in accordance with Annex II, on request by the Commission, the supporting documents, evidencing all the expenditure referred to in the application for reimbursement.

4 The outcome of the studies shall be made available to the Commission and the EU Reference Laboratory for bee health.

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, Hungary, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.