(1)

In the third and fourth weeks of August 2006, outbreaks of bluetongue appeared in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France, in areas where outbreaks have not been noted before. The emergence of this disease may represent a serious risk to the Community's livestock population.

(2)

The Commission has adopted various decisions in order to demarcate the protection and surveillance zones and to set down the conditions governing movements of animals from these zones amending Decision 2005/393/EC (2) on protection and surveillance zones in relation to bluetongue and conditions applying to movements from or through these zones. That decision has been amended by for the last time by Commission Decision 2006/761/EC (3) to take account of the recent outbreaks referred to in recital (1).

(3)

In order to prevent the spread of the disease as rapidly as possible, the Community should contribute financially to the eligible expenditure incurred by the Netherlands Belgium, Germany and France in the context of the emergency measures, as provided for in Decision 90/424/EEC.

(4)

It is appropriate to urgently establish harmonised surveillance activities for bluetongue in the Netherlands Belgium, Germany and France.

(5)

Harmonised and enhanced emergency surveillance measures were put in place in close collaboration by Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to control the epidemic by carrying out epidemiological surveys and disease surveillance measures, including laboratory tests for serological and virological surveillance and entomological surveillance.

(6)

The authorities of the affected Member States (Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) have provided evidence of strengthened cooperation to avoid the spread of the disease by carrying out bluetongue surveillance measures.

(7)

Under Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (4), veterinary emergency measures undertaken in accordance with Community rules are to be financed under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund. For financial control purposes, Articles 9, 36 and 37 of that Regulation are to apply.

(8)

The payment of the financial contribution from the Community should be subject to the condition that the actions planned have actually been carried out and that the authorities supply all the necessary information within the time limits laid down.

(9)

In the first week of November 2006, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands submitted an initial estimation of the costs to be incurred for the implementation of an epidemiological survey and bluetongue surveillance measures in the context of the other emergency measures taken to combat the disease. This estimation of epidemiological surveillance measures amounts to EUR 12 533 634.

(10)

Pending on-the-spot checks carried out by the Commission, it is now necessary to fix the amount for payment of the first instalment of the Community financial contribution. That first instalment should be equal to 50 % of the Community contribution, established on the basis of the estimated eligible expenditure of the epidemiological surveillance measures. It is also appropriate to fix the maximum amounts to be reimbursed for the costs of certain tests used in the framework of these measures.

(11)

The authorities of Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have fulfilled all their technical and administrative obligations with regard to the measures provided for in Article 3 of Decision 90/424/EEC.

(12)

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

(a)

EUR 300 000 to Belgium;

(b)

EUR 2 200 000 to Germany;

(c)

EUR 100 000 to France;

(d)

EUR 25 000 to Luxembourg;

(e)

EUR 165 000 to the Netherlands.