21.7.2010   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 199/1

(1)

In accordance with Article 75 of the Financial Regulation and Article 90(1) of the Implementing Rules, the commitment of expenditure from the budget of the European Union shall be preceded by a financing decision setting out the essential elements of the action involving expenditure and adopted by the institution or the authorities to which powers have been delegated by the institution.

(2)

In accordance with Article 110 of the Financial Regulation, an annual work programme must be adopted for grants.

(3)

It is necessary to lay down a work programme for the activities of the European Union in the veterinary field related to information policy, support of international organisations, disease notification and computerisation of veterinary procedures. As the work programme in the annexes is a sufficiently detailed framework in the meaning of Article 90(2) and (3) of Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (2) (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Implementing Rules’), the present decision constitutes a financing decision for the expenditure provided for in the work programme for grants and procurement.

(4)

Article 19 of Decision 2009/470/EC rules that the Union shall make a financial contribution to the establishment of an information policy in the field of animal health, animal welfare and food safety in products of animal origin including the performance of studies necessary for the preparation and development of legislation in the field of animal welfare.

(5)

The Commission has committed itself to submit to the European Parliament and to the Council reports on the various stunning methods for poultry (Article 27(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 of 24 September 2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing (3)), the welfare of animals being transported and on the trade flows of live animals within the enlarged Union (Article 32 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 (4)) and the influence of genetic parameters on identified deficiencies resulting in poor welfare of chickens (Article 6(1) of Council Directive 2007/43/EC of 28 June 2007 laying down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production (5)).

(6)

The Commission has committed itself to improve information of stakeholders and the general public on animal welfare standards with the Community Action Plan on Animal Welfare adopted in 2006 (6).

(7)

The Commission has committed itself to present a report to the European Parliament and the Council on cloning for food production by the end of 2010. The report will consider all aspects of cloning for food production in the context of existing legislation and will point out possible options. Data on the current situation of the use of the technology and on the effects on the health and welfare of the animals are needed.

(8)

The Union should exploit the ‘World Veterinary Year 2011’ to promote its animal health policy and the importance of the role of the veterinary profession in safeguarding public health, animal health and animal welfare.

(9)

Article 19 paragraph (a)(i) of Decision 2009/470/EC provides that the Union shall make a financial contribution to the gathering and storing of all information relating to Union legislation in the field of animal health, animal welfare and food safety in products of animal origin.

(10)

A financial contribution is required to make the interactive database of veterinary legislation (Vetlex) established by the Directorate-General for Enlargement for candidate countries, potential candidate countries and countries under the European Neighbourhood Policy initiative available to all Member States.

(11)

Pursuant to Article 22 of Decision 2009/470/EC, the Union may undertake, or assist the Member States or international organisations in undertaking, the technical and scientific measures necessary for the development of Union veterinary legislation and for the development of veterinary education or training.

(12)

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide. The OIE will organise a global conference on veterinary legislation from 6 to 8 December 2010. The OIE has realised a first study on veterinary legislation, and intends to enlarge the discussion with all its members in the global conference. It is important that the EU approach to veterinary legislation be shared with all member countries of the OIE and that the EU actively supports this Conference in order to promote the Union's animal health policy at the occasion.

(13)

Under Article 168(1)(c) of the Implementing Rules, grants may be awarded without a call for proposals in the case of bodies with a de facto monopoly. As standard setting body under the WTO/SPS Agreement, and as the intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide the OIE has a de facto monopoly in this sector hence a call for proposals is not required in order for the EU to contribute to the organisation of the global conference on veterinary legislation.

(14)

Article 35(1) of Decision 2009/470/EC allows for Union financial assistance for the introduction of systems to identify animals and notify diseases.

(15)

A Union financial contribution should be granted for the management of and for improving the Animal Disease Notification System (ADNS), based on Commission Decision 2005/176/EC of 1 March 2005 laying down the codified form and the codes for the notification of animal diseases pursuant to Council Directive 82/894/EEC (7).

(16)

The Commission has committed itself to improvement of EU preparedness against major threats to animal health including the strengthening of the Union's rapid response network in the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a new Animal Health Strategy for the EU (2007-2013).

(17)

Article 36 of Decision 2009/470/EC provides for Union financial contribution for certain computerised systems used in intra Union trade and imports.

(18)

It is necessary to continue to provide financial contributions for hosting, management and maintenance of the integrated computerised veterinary system Traces (Trade Control and Expert System) introduced by Commission Decision 2003/24/EC of 30 December 2002 concerning the development of an integrated computerised veterinary system (8).

(19)

This financing decision may also cover the payment of interest due for late payment on the basis of Articles 83 of the Financial Regulation and 106(5) of the Implementing Rules.

(20)

For the application of this decision, it is appropriate to define the term ‘substantial change’ within the meaning of Article 90(4) of the Implementing Rules.

(21)

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

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budget line 17 04 02 01: EUR 4 935 000

21.7.2010   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 199/12

(1)

One of the main objectives of the Union is to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market, of which financial services are an essential part.

(2)

In accordance with the better regulation principles, the Commission attaches great importance to ensuring proportionate user representation at all stages of the development of its policy on financial services. For this purpose, the Commission needs to call upon the expertise of specialists in an advisory body.

(3)

The Commission Communication of 4 March 2009‘Driving European recovery’ (1) stated that the Commission will ensure that the voice of European investors is much more strongly heard on all financial issues.

(4)

In 2004 the Commission services established a forum of financial services users (FIN-USE) in order to secure expert input from the user perspective into the European Commission’s financial services policymaking so that a more active and informed involvement of users could be achieved. The second three-year term of this group will come to an end in June 2010.

(5)

In 2006 the Commission services established the Financial Services Consumer Group (FSCG) as a sub-group of the existing European Consumer Consultative Group (ECCG) with the aim of bringing together representatives of consumer organisations from each of the Member States in order to discuss financial services policies and proposals of particular relevance to consumers. Its initial three-year term came to an end in November 2009.

(6)

FIN-USE has played an important role in conveying the perspective of users of financial services by providing quality advice to the Commission. FIN-USE members have also engaged in dialogues with a number of stakeholders, contributing usefully to disseminating the views of users of financial services and thereby improving the overall quality of the decision-making process.

(7)

The FSCG has been a useful channel of communication with national and European consumer associations and has drawn attention to specific problems of concern to consumers.

(8)

There is a need to further coordinate the input of financial services users and to increase the capacity of consumers and retail investors, that is natural persons investing outside their trade, business or profession, to contribute to its initiatives in this area. This decision has been taken in the light of the experience acquired by the Commission as regards the operation of FIN-USE and the FSCG; the external evaluations of the workings of both bodies, and the relevance of EU financial services policies to the lives of citizens.

(9)

It is therefore necessary to set up a group of financial services users and to define its tasks, composition and structure in a formal legal act.

(10)

The group should be composed of financial services experts such as individuals appointed to represent the interests of consumers, retail investors or micro-enterprises, but also individual experts having particular expertise in users’ needs and priorities in the field of financial services, for example lawyers representing consumers, employee or worker representatives or academics. The group should represent an adequate geographical coverage within the Union.

(11)

The group should assist the Commission in the preparation and monitoring of financial services policies having a potential impact on users of financial services. The group should secure high quality expert input to the Commission’s financial services initiatives from representatives of financial services users and from individual financial services experts.

(12)

With a view to achieving the aims of further coordinating the input of financial services users and increasing the capacity of consumers, retail investors and micro-enterprises to contribute to its financial services initiatives, it is appropriate to provide adequate financial support to the group, in the form of annual fees for its members, reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses, and a designated budget for research.

(13)

Having regard to the need to attract the best expertise in the very complex field of financial services among stakeholders who are not financial sector professionals, and having regard to the remuneration of members of comparable bodies at national level and the annual fees of FIN-USE and their periodic revision, the members of the group should receive an annual fee to ensure that they are adequately resourced to provide the required substantial input to the Commission, consisting of a workload of approximately 35 days, in addition to their participation in the meetings of the group.

(14)

Considering that external research might be necessary to enable members to fulfil the tasks of the group, the Commission may grant, upon request from the group, a research budget for that purpose if it considers such request justified.

(15)

Rules on disclosure of information by members of the group should be laid down, without prejudice to the rules on security annexed to the Commission’s Rules of Procedure by Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC, Euratom (2).

(16)

Personal data relating to members of the group should be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (3),

(a)

to advise the Commission in the context of the preparation of legislative acts or other policy initiatives affecting users of financial services, including consumers, retail investors and micro-enterprises;

(b)

to provide insight, opinion and advice concerning the practical implementation of such policies;

(c)

to proactively seek to identify key financial services issues which affect users of financial services;

(d)

where appropriate, and in agreement with the Commission, to liaise with and provide information to financial services user representatives and representative bodies at the European Union and national level, as well as to other consultative groups administered by the Commission, such as the European Consumer Consultative Group, the Payment Systems Market Expert Group, the European Securities Markets Expert Group and the Expert Group on Financial Education.

(a)

individuals appointed to represent the interests of consumers; or

(b)

individuals appointed to represent the interests of retail investors; or

(c)

individuals appointed to represent the interests of micro-enterprises, as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC (4), but excluding enterprises whose main business activity is the provision of financial services; or

(d)

individual experts with expertise in financial services from the perspective of the financial services user, excluding individuals currently employed by or acting on behalf of the financial services industry.

21.7.2010   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 199/15

21.7.2010   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 199/16

—

Be proposed and implemented jointly by European and third-country professionals in order to qualify for funding under the programme.

—

Seek to promote international networking. To this end, except for projects submitted under Action 1 — Option 1, each project must be driven and implemented by a group meeting three criteria:

—

quality of the content of the activity (maximum: 25 points, minimum threshold to be attained: 50 %),

—

project management (maximum: 25 points, minimum threshold to be attained: 50 %),

—

international and European dimension and added value (maximum: 30 points, minimum threshold to be attained: 50 %),

—

impact (maximum: 20 points, minimum threshold to be attained: 50 %).

Ms Aviva Silver

European Commission

Directorate-General for Education and Culture

Directorate D — Culture and Media

Unit D3 — MEDIA programme and media literacy

Office MADO 18/68

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

21.7.2010   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 199/19

1.

On 12 July 2010, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Fortress Investment Group LLC (United States) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of parts of the undertaking Residential Capital LLC (the remaining European residential mortgage platforms of Residential Capital LLC in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK and portfolios of residential mortgage assets) wholly owned by GMAC Financial Services (United States) by way of purchase of assets.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the EC Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the EC Merger Regulation (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5752 — Fortress Investment Group/Residential Capital Residential mortgage business, to the following address: