8.12.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 308/35 COMMISSION DECISION of 30 November 2000 approving the programmes for the monitoring of BSE presented for 2001 by the Member States and fixing the level of the Community's financial contribution (notified under document number C(2000) 3448) (2000/773/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Decision 90/424[EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (!), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 (3), and in particular Article 24 thereof, Whereas: 1) Decision 90/424[EEC provides for the possibility of financial participation by the Community in the erad- ication and surveillance of animal diseases. Member States have submitted programmes for the monitoring of bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) in their countries. After examination of the programmes they were found to comply with the Community criteria relating to the monitoring of this disease in conformity with Council Decision 90/638/EEC of 27 November 1990 laying down Community criteria for the eradication and monitoring of certain animal diseases (), as last amended by Directive 92/65/EEC (*). These programmes appear on the priority list of programmes for the eradication and surveillance of animal diseases which can benefit from financial partici- pation from the Community in 2001 and which was established by Commission Decision 2000/639/EC (%). Following recent developments of the BSE situation a revised testing programme has been exceptionally agreed on by the Community. This programme, as laid down in Commission Decision 2000/764/EC of 6 December 2000 on the testing of bovine animals for the presence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and amending Decision 98/272[EC on epidemio-surveillance for trans- missible spongiform encephalopathies (), foresees two testing phases. The first phase targets all cattle aged over 30 months subject to emergency slaughter or displaying clinical signs at slaughter as well as a random sample from dead-on-farm cattle (Article 1(1) and (2) of the above Decision), while the second phase should include 224, 18.9.1990, p. 19. 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103. 347, 12.12.1990, p. 27. 268, 14.9.1992, p. 54. 269, 21.10.2000, p. 54. 305, 6.12.2000. (10) (11) (12) also all bovine animals over 30 months of age subject to normal slaughter for human consumption (Article 1(3) of the above Decision). The revision of the testing programme was not foresee- able by the deadline of 1 June 2000 for submission of the programmes. Under these exceptional circumstances the United Kingdom has submitted a programme for the monitoring of BSE, which needs to be approved as those of the other Member States and Decision 2000/639/EC must be amended accordingly. Financial participation of the Community should also be foreseen for the tests carried out in accordance with the second phase of the revised testing regime even if this measure is not foreseen in the programmes of the Member States. The maximum amount of money allocated to each programme as laid down in Decision 2000/639/EC must be increased and Decision 2000/639/EC must be amended accordingly. Article 1(4) of Decision 2000/764/EC foresees the poss- ibility of reviewing the number of animals to be exam- ined in the second testing phase by 1 June 2001 in the light of the number of animals examined and the results thereof in the initial period of the first phase. Therefore it is necessary to foresee a review of the financial partici- pation of the Community by 1 July 2001. In the light of the importance of these programmes for the achievement of Community objectives in the field of animal health and public health, it is appropriate in this case to compensate 100 % of the costs incurred in the Member States during the first phase for the purchase of test-kits and reagents up to a maximum amount of money per test kit and per programme. Pursuant to Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1258 1999, veterinary and plant health measures undertaken in accordance with Community rules shall be financed under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricul- tural Guidance and Guarantee Fund; for financial control purposes, Articles 8 and 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1258/ 1999 apply.