22.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/1

22.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/3

(1)

Article 12 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1973/2004 of 29 October 2004 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 as regards the support schemes provided for in Titles IV and IVa of that Regulation and the use of land set aside for the production of raw materials (2) provides that, to be eligible for the crop-specific payment for rice, the declared area must be sown on 31 May preceding the harvest in question at the latest in all producing regions except for Spain, Portugal and French Guyana which are allowed to sow until 30 June.

(2)

Continuous and strong flood rainfalls have affected the Italian region of Piemonte as from mid May 2008. These adverse weather conditions prevented farmers to respect the date for sowing of rice at the latest on 31 May 2008.

(3)

It is therefore appropriate to derogate from Article 12(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1973/2004 and authorise farmers to sow rice in the declared areas located in the Italian Region of Piemonte at the latest on 30 June 2008.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Direct Payments,

22.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/4

(1)

Council Regulation (EC) No 40/2008 of 16 January 2008 fixing for 2008 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in Community waters and for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required (3), lays down quotas for 2008.

(2)

According to the information received by the Commission, catches of the stock referred to in the Annex to this Regulation by vessels flying the flag of or registered in the Member State referred to therein have exhausted the quota allocated for 2008.

(3)

It is therefore necessary to prohibit fishing for that stock and its retention on board, transhipment and landing,

22.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/6

(1)

Council Regulation (EC) No 40/2008 of 16 January 2008 fixing for 2008 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in Community waters and for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required (3), lays down quotas for 2008.

(2)

According to the information received by the Commission, catches of the stock referred to in the Annex to this Regulation by vessels flying the flag of or registered in the Member State referred to therein have exhausted the quota allocated for 2008.

(3)

It is therefore necessary to prohibit fishing for that stock and its retention on board, transhipment and landing,

22.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/8

(1)

In accordance with Commission Decision 2006/133/EC of 13 February 2006 requiring Member States temporarily to take additional measures against the dissemination of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner et Buhrer) Nickle et al. (the pine wood nematode — PWN) as regards areas in Portugal, other than those in which it is known not to occur (2), Portugal is implementing an eradication plan against the dissemination of the pine wood nematode.

(2)

Portugal has adopted a ministerial order (Portaria No 358/2008 of 12 May 2008) prohibiting movement of susceptible wood and plants out of continental Portugal unless the wood has been heat treated and the plants duly inspected.

(3)

Portugal presented to the Commission a proposal for a survey plan, as provided for in Article 4(2) of Decision 2006/133/EC, for the entire Portuguese territory. The proposal was discussed in the Standing Committee on Plant Health on 26 and 27 May 2008. However, the Commission, based on the conclusions of the Committee, did not approve the plan because of insufficient intensity of monitoring.

(4)

Portugal informed the Commission on 5 June 2008 on the finding of new outbreaks of PWN, as a result of an extraordinary investigation by the Portuguese authorities in addition to the annual survey, in the part of Portugal where so far PWN was known not to occur.

(5)

The inspection mission from the Food and Veterinary Office from 2 to 6 June 2008 revealed that the data available are not sufficient to confirm that there are areas in Portugal which are free from PWN and that the Community and national measures are not fully implemented.

(6)

Therefore, spread of PWN out of the demarcated areas in Portugal on account of movements of susceptible wood, bark and plants cannot be fully excluded. Moreover, at present, it is not possible for Member States other than Portugal to control movements into their territory of susceptible wood, bark and plants originating in all parts of Portugal.

(7)

In order to safeguard the territory of other Member States against PWN and to protect the Community trade interests in relation to third countries, the movements of susceptible wood, bark and plants from the demarcated areas in Portugal to other Member States and third countries should be prohibited unless this material has undergone appropriate treatment or, for plants, appropriate inspection. Therefore, the requirements for movements of susceptible wood, bark and plants from demarcated areas into areas in Portugal, other than demarcated areas, or into other Member States should be extended to all movements from the demarcated areas in Portugal into other Member States and third countries. Traceability should be ensured by attaching the plant passport or the mark to each unit within a consignment. The scope of control activities carried out by Member States should be widened to allow control of susceptible wood, bark and plants moved from Portugal into their territory.

(8)

Commission Decision 2008/489/EC of 27 June 2008 concerning interim protective measures against the dissemination of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner et Buhrer) Nickle et al. (the pine wood nematode) in Portugal (3) provided for such measures pending the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plant Health. It is now appropriate to confirm those measures and to repeal Decision 2008/489/EC.

(9)

Decision 2006/133/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(10)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health,

1.

in the first paragraph of Article 2, the following sentence is added:

‘In addition, Portugal shall ensure that the conditions of point 1 of the Annex in relation to susceptible wood, bark and plants which are to be moved from demarcated areas into areas in Portugal, other than demarcated areas, or into other Member States or third countries are met.’;

2.

in Article 3, point (a) is replaced by the following:

3.

the Annex to Decision 2006/133/EC is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.

22.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/11

(1)

Decision 90/424/EEC lays down the procedures governing the Community's financial contribution towards the national programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of the animal diseases and zoonoses listed in the Annex to that Decision.

(2)

Decision 90/424/EEC, as amended by Council Decision 2006/782/EC (2), includes Spring viraemia of carp (SVC) on the list of animal disease for which Member States may be eligible for financial contribution from the Community for national eradication programmes.

(3)

For aquatic animals, Member States should be eligible for financial contribution from the Community for national programmes for the eradication only as regards the non-exotic diseases which are listed in Part II of Annex IV to Council Directive 2006/88/EC of 24 October 2006 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals (3). That Directive is to apply from 1 August 2008.

(4)

Directive 2006/88/EC, as amended by Commission Directive 2008/53/EC, no longer lists Spring viraemia of carp (SVC) in Part II of Annex IV thereto, since the costs related to the measures to eradicate that disease would be disproportionate to the economic losses caused by it.

(5)

It is therefore appropriate to delete that disease also from the list of animal diseases and zoonoses set out in the Annex to Decision 90/424/EEC.

(6)

The Annex to Decision 90/424/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

22.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/13

(1)

Commission Decision 2005/59/EC (2) approved plans submitted by Slovakia on 31 August 2004 for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs and the emergency vaccination of such pigs in the areas of that Member State set out in the Annex to that Decision.

(2)

Slovakia has now informed the Commission about the recent evolution of classical swine fever in feral pigs in that Member State. In the light of the epidemiological information available, the measures set out in the plan for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs and the emergency vaccination of such pigs need to be extended to include the whole districts of Rimavská Sobota, Nové Zámky, Levice and Komárno.

(3)

For the sake of transparency of Community legislation, the Annex to Decision 2005/59/EC should be replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.

(4)

Decision 2005/59/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,