COMMISSION DECISION

of 7 August 2007

on a Community financial contribution towards expenditure incurred by Member States in implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries policy for 2007

(notified under document number C(2007) 3747)

(2007/567/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to 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 21 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Member States have forwarded to the Commission their fisheries control programme for 2007 together with the applications for a Community financial contribution towards the expenditure to be incurred in carrying out the projects contained in such programme.

(2) Applications concerning actions listed in Article 8(a) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 may qualify for Community funding.

(3) Applications for Community funding must comply with Commission Regulation (EC) No 391/2007 of 11 April 2007 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 as regards the expenditure incurred by Member States in implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries policy(2).

(4) It is appropriate to fix the maximum amounts and the rate of the Community financial contribution in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 and to lay down the conditions under which such contribution may be granted.

(5) In order to qualify for the Community contribution, automatic localisation devices should satisfy the requirements fixed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003 of 18 December 2003 laying down detailed provisions regarding satellite-based Vessel Monitoring Systems(3).

(6) The amount of the financial contribution to be granted to each Member State for expenditure related to the purchase and modernisation of vessels and aircraft should be calculated on the basis of the ratio between the inspection and control activity carried out by such vessels and aircraft and their total yearly activity, as declared by the Member States.

(7) Pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 391/2007, the projects listed in the fisheries control programme are to be implemented in accordance with the schedule laid down in that programme.

(8) Claims for reimbursement of expenditure relating to those projects are to be submitted to the Commission in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 391/2007.

(9) 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

Subject matter

This Decision provides for a Community financial contribution for 2007 towards expenditure incurred by Member States for 2007 in implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries policy, 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.

Article 2

New technologies and IT networks

Expenditure incurred 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 Annex I.

Article 3

Automatic localisation devices

1. Expenditure incurred in 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 vessel monitoring system (VMS) shall qualify for a maximum financial contribution of EUR 4 500 per vessel within the limits established in Annex II.

2. Within the EUR 4 500 limit provided for in paragraph 1, the financial contribution for the first EUR 1 500 of eligible expenditure shall be at a rate of 100 %.

3. The financial contribution for eligible expenditure comprised between EUR 1 500 and EUR 4 500 per vessel shall amount to a maximum of 50 % of such expenditure.

4. In order to qualify, automatic localisation devices shall satisfy the requirements fixed by Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003.

Article 4

Pilot projects

Expenditure incurred in pilot projects on new control technologies shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex III.

Article 5

Training

Expenditure incurred 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 Annex IV.

Article 6

Assessment of expenditure

Expenditure incurred in implementing a system to assess expenditure incurred in controlling the common fisheries policy shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex V.

Article 7

Seminars and media tools

Expenditure incurred in initiatives including seminar and media tools aimed at enhancing awareness among fishermen and other players such as inspectors, public prosecutors and judges, as well as among the general public on the need to fight irresponsible and illegal fishing and on the implementation of common fisheries policy rules, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 75 % of the eligible expenditure within the limits laid down in Annex VI.

Article 8

Fisheries patrol vessels and aircraft

Expenditure related to the purchase and modernisation of vessels and aircraft used for inspection and surveillance of fishing activities by the competent authorities of the Member States shall qualify, within the limits laid down in Annex VII, for a financial contribution not exceeding 50 % of the eligible expenditure incurred by Member States.

Article 9

Addressees

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 97, 12.4.2007, p. 30

(3)

OJ L 333, 20.12.2003, p. 17

ANNEX I

NEW TECHNOLOGIES & IT NETWORKS

(EUR)
Member State	Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control programme	Community contribution
Bulgaria	136 088	68 044
Belgium	0	0
Czech Republic	0	0
Denmark	1 050 604	525 302
Germany	314 000	157 000
Estonia	25 179	12 589
Greece	1 500 000	750 000
Spain	387 205	193 603
France	1 573 940	786 970
Ireland	0	0
Italy	4 103 820	2 051 910
Cyprus	40 000	20 000
Latvia	0	0
Lithuania	30 000	15 000
Luxembourg	0	0
Hungary	0	0
Malta	6 000	3 000
Netherlands	538 390	269 195
Austria	0	0
Poland	125 000	62 500
Portugal	253 000	115 700
Romania	0	0
Slovenia	83 000	41 500
Slovakia	0	0
Finland	250 000	125 000
Sweden	5 649 000	657 000
United Kingdom	384 657	192 329
Total	16 449 883	6 046 642

ANNEX II

AUTOMATIC LOCALISATION DEVICES

(EUR)
Member State	Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control programme	Community contribution
Bulgaria	0	0
Belgium	0	0
Czech Republic	0	0
Denmark	0	0
Germany	0	0
Estonia	0	0
Greece	0	0
Spain	300 000	225 000
France	0	0
Ireland	0	0
Italy	1 371 974	600 000
Cyprus	692 000	646 000
Latvia	0	0
Lithuania	0	0
Luxembourg	0	0
Hungary	0	0
Malta	0	0
Netherlands	0	0
Austria	0	0
Poland	0	0
Portugal	0	0
Romania	0	0
Slovenia	0	0
Slovakia	0	0
Finland	0	0
Sweden	50 000	25 000
United Kingdom	0	0
Total	2 413 974	1 496 000

ANNEX III

PILOT PROJECTS

(EUR)
Member State	Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control programme	Community contribution
Bulgaria	0	0
Belgium	0	0
Czech Republic	0	0
Denmark	0	0
Germany	0	0
Estonia	0	0
Greece	0	0
Spain	0	0
France	0	0
Ireland	0	0
Italy	0	0
Cyprus	0	0
Latvia	0	0
Lithuania	0	0
Luxembourg	0	0
Hungary	0	0
Malta	0	0
Netherlands	0	0
Austria	0	0
Poland	0	0
Portugal	0	0
Romania	0	0
Slovenia	0	0
Slovakia	0	0
Finland	0	0
Sweden	31 500	15 750
United Kingdom	0	0
Total	31 500	15 750

ANNEX IV

TRAINING

(EUR)
Member State	Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control programme	Community contribution
Bulgaria	72 000	36 000
Belgium	10 000	5 000
Czech Republic	0	0
Denmark	67 114	33 557
Germany	27 500	13 750
Estonia	26 050	13 025
Greece	80 000	40 000
Spain	162 060	81 030
France	111 500	55 750
Ireland	0	0
Italy	1 295 304	532 077
Cyprus	0	0
Latvia	0	0
Lithuania	18 000	9 000
Luxembourg	0	0
Hungary	0	0
Malta	36 640	18 320
Netherlands	120 441	60 221
Austria	0	0
Poland	0	0
Portugal	90 380	45 190
Romania	0	0
Slovenia	27 000	13 500
Slovakia	0	0
Finland	26 000	13 000
Sweden	50 000	25 000
United Kingdom	9 442	4 721
Total	2 229 431	999 141

ANNEX V

ASSESSMENT OF EXPENDITURE

(EUR)
Member State	Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control programme	Community contribution
Bulgaria	0	0
Belgium	0	0
Czech Republic	0	0
Denmark	0	0
Germany	0	0
Estonia	0	0
Greece	0	0
Spain	0	0
France	0	0
Ireland	0	0
Italy	0	0
Cyprus	0	0
Latvia	0	0
Lithuania	0	0
Luxembourg	0	0
Hungary	0	0
Malta	0	0
Netherlands	0	0
Austria	0	0
Poland	0	0
Portugal	0	0
Romania	0	0
Slovenia	0	0
Slovakia	0	0
Finland	0	0
Sweden	100 000	50 000
United Kingdom	0	0
Total	100 000	50 000

ANNEX VI

SEMINARS AND MEDIA TOOLS

(EUR)
Member State	Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control programme	Community contribution
Bulgaria	0	0
Belgium	5 000	3 750
Czech Republic	0	0
Denmark	0	0
Germany	0	0
Estonia	0	0
Greece	100 000	75 000
Spain	16 000	12 000
France	0	0
Ireland	0	0
Italy	292 000	219 000
Cyprus	0	0
Latvia	0	0
Lithuania	12 000	9 000
Luxembourg	0	0
Hungary	0	0
Malta	0	0
Netherlands	0	0
Austria	0	0
Poland	210 000	157 500
Portugal	0	0
Romania	0	0
Slovenia	14 000	10 500
Slovakia	0	0
Finland	0	0
Sweden	0	0
United Kingdom	0	0
Total	649 000	486 750

ANNEX VII

PATROL VESSELS AND AIRCRAFT

(EUR)
Member State	Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control programme	Community contribution
Bulgaria	66 000	33 000
Belgium	0	0
Czech Republic	0	0
Denmark	0	0
Germany	254 000	122 250
Estonia	2 500 000	1 250 000
Greece	0	0
Spain	405 000	202 500
France	402 000	156 000
Ireland	0	0
Italy	135 000	67 500
Cyprus	120 000	60 000
Latvia	0	0
Lithuania	120 000	60 000
Luxembourg	0	0
Hungary	0	0
Malta	0	0
Netherlands	50 000	25 000
Austria	0	0
Poland	100 000	50 000
Portugal	2 000 000	700 000
Romania	0	0
Slovenia	155 000	77 500
Slovakia	0	0
Finland	0	0
Sweden	0	0
United Kingdom	7 633 872	3 816 936
Total	13 940 872	6 620 686