1.12.2011

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 318/20

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COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 25 November 2011

on an additional financial contribution towards Member States’ fisheries control, inspection and surveillance programmes for 2011

(notified under document C(2011) 8359)

(Only the Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Swedish texts are authentic)

(2011/779/EU)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

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)

Based upon the requests for Union co-finance that have been submitted by Member States in their fisheries control programmes for 2011, the Commission has adopted Implementing Decision 2011/431/EU of 11 July 2011 on a Union financial contribution towards Member States’ fisheries control, inspection and surveillance programmes for 2011 (2), which has left some of the 2011 budget available unused.

(2)	That unused part of the 2011 budget should now be allocated by a new Decision.

(3)

In conformity with Article 21(2) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006, Member States have been asked to submit programmes related to additional funding in the priority areas defined by the Commission in its letter to Member States of 20 May 2011, i.e. automation and management of data, electronic recording an reporting systems (ERS systems), electronic recording and reporting devices (ERS devices) and vessel monitoring systems (VMS) as well as traceability and control of engine power.

(4)

On that basis and given budgetary constraints, requests in the programmes for Union funding related to actions such as training and exchange programmes as well as pilot inspection and observer schemes, analysis and assessment of expenditure, initiatives raising awareness of common fisheries policy (CFP) rules and the construction of patrol vessels and aircrafts, have been rejected since they were not dedicated to the priority areas defined above.

(5)	Within the priority areas indicated by the Commission, not all the eligible expenditure in the programmes could be retained, due to budgetary restraints. The Commission selected the projects to be co-financed on the basis of the most urgent needs defined by the Commission.

(6)	Applications concerning actions listed in Article 8(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 may qualify for Union funding.

(7)

The applications for Union funding have been assessed with regard to their compliance with the rules set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No 391/2007 of 11 April 2007 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council 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 (3).

(8)	It is appropriate to fix the maximum amounts and the rate of the Union financial contribution within the limits set by Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 and to lay down the conditions under which such contribution may be granted.

(9)

In order to encourage investment in the priority actions defined by the Commission and in view of the negative impact of the financial crisis on Member States’ budgets, expenditure related to the abovementioned priority areas should benefit from a high co-financing rate, within the limits laid down in Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006.

(10)

In order to qualify for the contribution, automatic localisation devices should satisfy the requirements fixed by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 of 8 April 2011 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (4).

(11)	In order to qualify for the contribution, electronic recording and reporting devices on board fishing vessels should satisfy the requirements fixed by Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011.

(12)	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 an additional Union financial contribution towards expenditure incurred by Member States for 2011 in implementing monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries policy (CFP), as referred to in Article 8(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006. It establishes the amount of the Union financial contribution for each Member State, the rate of the Union financial contribution and the conditions on which such contribution may be granted.

Article 2

Closure of outstanding commitments

All payments in respect of which a reimbursement is claimed shall be made by the Member State concerned by 30 June 2015. 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 2016.

Article 3

New technologies and IT networks

1.   Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex I, on the setting up of new technologies and IT networks in order to allow efficient and secure collection and management of data in connection with monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.

2.   Any other expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred in Annex I, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.

Article 4

Automatic localisation devices

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 vessel monitoring system (VMS) shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.

2.   The financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be calculated on the basis of a price capped at EUR 2 500 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 Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011.

Article 5

Electronic recording and reporting systems

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 electronic recording and reporting systems (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 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.

Article 6

Electronic recording and reporting devices

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 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.

2.   The financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be calculated on the basis of a price capped at EUR 3 000 per vessel, without prejudice of paragraph 4.

3.   In order to qualify for a financial contribution, ERS devices shall satisfy the requirements established in Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011.

4.   In case of devices combining ERS and VMS functions and fulfilling the requirements laid down in Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011, the financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be calculated on the basis of a price capped at EUR 4 500 per vessel.

Article 7

Pilot projects

Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex V, on pilot projects on new control technologies shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.

Article 8

Total maximum Union contribution per Member State

The planned expenditure, the eligible share thereof, and the maximum Union contribution per Member State are as follows:

(in EUR)
Member State	Expenditure planned in the national fisheries control additional programme	Expenditure for projects selected under this Decision	Maximum Union contribution
Bulgaria	147 254	147 254	132 530
Cyprus	259 000	255 000	229 500
Denmark	2 159 798	1 408 564	1 267 708
Germany	6 792 280	137 480	123 732
Ireland	51 610 000	250 000	225 000
Greece	2 133 500	590 000	455 000
Spain	4 182 697	2 264 977	2 038 480
Italy	4 010 000	1 140 000	1 026 000
Latvia	140 944	140 944	126 850
Lithuania	207 200	135 313	121 782
Malta	270 664	191 486	130 313
Netherlands	300 000	0	0
Poland	386 324	385 360	343 623
Portugal	2 843 921	2 395 200	2 155 680
Romania	589 000	85 000	76 500
Finland	1 000 000	870 000	635 000
United Kingdom	2 862 415	1 349 325	1 214 392
Total	79 894 998	11 745 904	10 302 090

Article 9

Addressees

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, Romania, the Republic of Finland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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(1)  OJ L 160, 14.6.2006, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 188, 19.7.2011, p. 50.

(3)  OJ L 97, 12.4.2007, p. 30.

(4)  OJ L 112, 30.4.2011, p. 1.

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