L 12/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 18.1.2000 COMMISSION DECISION of 16 December 1999 on a Community financial contribution to cover expenditure incurred by France for the purpose of combating organisms harmful to plants or plant products (notified under document number C(1999) 4520) (Only the French text is authentic) (2000/38[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (5)  The technical information provided by France has Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 77/93/EEC of 21 December 1976 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community (!), as last amended by Commission Directive 1999/53/EC (3), and in particular Article 19c thereof, Whereas: (1)  Pursuant to Directive 77/93/EEC, a financial contribu- tion from the Community may be granted to Member States to cover expenditure relating directly to the neces- sary measures which have been taken or are planned to be taken for the purpose of combating harmful organ- isms introduced from third countries or from other areas in the Community, in order to eradicate or, if that is not possible, to contain them; (2)  France has applied for the allocation of such a Community financial contribution and supplied programmes of actions to eradicate: Clavibacter michiga- nensis ssp. sepedonicus (Smith) Davis et al., the causal agent of potato ring rot, introduced in France in 1997; Globodera pallida (Wollenweber) Behrens and Globodera rostochiensis (Stone) Behrens, introduced in France in 1997; Xanthomonas axonopolis pv. dieffenbachiae (Mc Culloch & Pirone) Vauterin et al., introduced in France in 1997. These programmes specify the objectives to be achieved, the measures carried out, their duration and their cost so that the Community may contribute to financing them; (3)  The Community financial contribution may cover up to 50 % of eligible expenditure; (4)  The expenditure which France has incurred in the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 relates directly to the destruction of infected plants and plant products, the disinfection of machinery and premises, plant health inspections, plant sampling and analyses and financial losses; 6, 31.1.1977, p. 20. 42, 5.6.1999, p. 29. enabled the Standing Committee on Plant Health to analyse the situation accurately and comprehensively; (6)  The Overseas Departments benefit of a specific Community financial contribution for the implementa- tion of a programme for the eradication and control of harmful organisms for plants and plant products, other than Xanthomonas axonopodis; (7)  The contribution referred to in Article 2 is without prejudice to a possible contribution for other expendi- ture specified in the application by France, but not taken into account in this Decision, or for further actions taken or to be taken and necessary for the achievement of the objective of eradication or control of the relevant harmful organisms; such a contribution would be the subject of a subsequent Decision; (8)  The present Decision is without prejudice to the outcome of the verifications by the Commission under Article 19d of Directive 77/93/EEC on whether the introduction of the relevant harmful organisms has been caused by inadequate examinations or inspections and the consequences of such verifications; (9)  The measures provided in this Decision are in accord- ance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 The allocation of a Community financial contribution to cover expenditure incurred by France relating directly to necessary measures as specified in Article 19¢(2) of Directive 77/93/EEC and taken for the purpose of combating Clavibacter michiga- nensis, Globodera pallida and Globodera rostochiensis, Xanthomonas axonopodis, is hereby approved. Article 2 The maximum amount of the Community financial contribu- tion shall be EUR 89 972.