COMMISSION DECISION

of 7 August 2007

on the eligibility of expenditure to be incurred by certain Member States in 2007 for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the Common Fisheries Policy

(notified under document number C(2007) 3737)

(2007/605/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to the Council Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 of 22 May 2006 establishing Community financial measures for the implementation of the common fisheries policy and in the area of the Law of the Sea(1), and in particular Article 24(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 lays down the conditions whereby Member States may receive a contribution from the Community for expenditure incurred in their national programmes of collection and management of data.

(2) Those programmes are to be drawn up in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000 of 29 June 2000 establishing a Community framework for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy(2) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1639/2001 of 25 July 2001 establishing the minimum and extended Community programmes for the collection of data in the fisheries sector and laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000(3).

(3) Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Finland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom have submitted national programmes for 2007. Those Member States have also submitted applications for a financial contribution by the Community.

(4) The Commission has examined Member States’ programmes and has assessed the eligibility of the expenditures.

(5) Council Decision 2000/439/EC(4) was repealed by Council Regulation (EC) No 861/2006. Article 16 of the latter Regulation establishes that Community financial measures in the area of basic data collection shall not exceed 50 % of the costs incurred by Member States in carrying out a programme as provided for in Article 23(1) of the same Regulation (861/2006). Article 24, paragraph 3b of Council Regulation establishes that Commission Decisions shall fix the rate of the financial contribution. According to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000 it is foreseen that Decisions covering expenditures incurred by Member States under the data collection will follow the rates of 50 % for the minimum programme and 35 % for the extended programme.

(6) A first instalment should be delivered to the Member States concerned. A second instalment should be forwarded, in 2008, following the transmission and acceptance by the Commission of a financial and technical report of activity detailing the state of completion of the aims set at the time of drawing-up the minimum and extended programmes.

(7) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

This Decision establishes for 2007 the amount of the eligible expenditure for each Member State and the rates of the Community financial contribution for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy.

Article 2

Expenditure incurred in collecting and managing of the data needed to conduct the Common Fisheries Policy, as set out in Annex I, shall qualify for a financial contribution from the Community not exceeding 50 % of the eligible expenditure for the minimum programme as provided for in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000.

Article 3

Expenditure incurred in collecting and managing of the data needed to conduct the Common Fisheries Policy, as set out in Annex II, shall qualify for a financial contribution from the Community not exceeding 35 % of the eligible expenditure for the extended programme as provided for in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000.

Article 4

1. The Community shall pay a first instalment of 50 % of the financial contribution from the Community set out in Annexes I and II.

2. A second instalment shall be delivered in 2008, after the reception and approval of a financial and a technical report.

Article 5

1. The euro exchange rate used to calculate the amounts eligible under this Decision shall be the rate in force in May 2006.

2. The expenditure declarations and applications for advances in national currency received from the Member States not participating in the third stage of economic and monetary union shall be converted into euro at the rate in force for the month in which those declarations and applications are received by the Commission.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 7 August 2007.

For the Commission

Joe

BORG

Member of the Commission

(1)

OJ L 160, 14.6.2006, p. 1

(2)

OJ L 176, 15.7.2000, p. 1

(3)

OJ L 222, 17.8.2001, p. 53

. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1581/2004 (

OJ L 289, 10.9.2004, p. 6

(4)

OJ L 176, 15.7.2000, p. 42

. Decision amended by Decision 2005/703/EC (

OJ L 267, 12.10.2005, p. 26

ANNEX I

Minimum programme

(EUR)
Member State	Eligible expenditure	Max. Community contribution
BELGIUM	1 039 161	519 581
DENMARK	5 723 552	2 861 776
GERMANY	3 927 965	1 963 982
ESTONIA	516 054	258 027
IRELAND	4 821 622	2 410 811
GREECE	1 781 330	890 665
SPAIN	8 887 744	4 443 872
FRANCE	7 019 156	3 509 578
ITALY	3 927 432	1 963 716
CYPRUS	597 228	298 614
LATVIA	412 174	206 087
LITHUANIA	141 947	70 973,5
MALTA	449 853	224 927
NETHERLANDS	3 537 657	1 768 829
POLAND	662 847	331 424
PORTUGAL	3 253 056	1 626 528
SLOVENIA	250 225	125 113
FINLAND	1 307 541	653 771
SWEDEN	3 082 718	1 541 359
UNITED KINGDOM	7 757 951	3 878 975
Total	59 097 212	29 548 606

ANNEX II

Extended programme

(EUR)
Member State	Eligible expenditure	Max. Community contribution
BELGIUM
DENMARK
GERMANY	626 510	219 279
ESTONIA	29 661	10 381
IRELAND	426 553	149 294
GREECE	231 600	81 060
SPAIN	1 276 056	446 620
FRANCE	342 409	119 843
ITALY	566 008	198 103
CYPRUS
LATVIA	5 742	2 010
LITHUANIA
MALTA
NETHERLANDS	450 538	157 688
POLAND
PORTUGAL	305 456	106 910
SLOVENIA
FINLAND	154 691	54 142
SWEDEN	60 647	21 226
UNITED KINGDOM	1 132 625	396 419
Total	5 608 495	1 962 973