L 397/22 Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 COUNCIL DECISION of 19 December 2006 amending Decision 90/424/EEC on expenditure in the veterinary field (2006/965EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 37 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1), Having regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (2), Whereas: 1 The Community co-finances activities of the Member States on animal disease and zoonoses eradication, con- trol and monitoring on the basis of annual programmes approved in accordance with the requirements and proce- dure laid down in Article 24 of Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the vet- erinary field (3). A review of the procedures for Community co-financing of animal disease and zoonoses eradication, control and monitoring programmes, taking into account in particu- lar the experience gained from the work carried out by the Task Force for monitoring disease eradication in the Member States established in accordance with action 29 of the White Paper on Food Safety, has shown that a multi-annual approach for these programmes and a new list of diseases and zoonoses would lead to better results. A multi-annual approach for the programmes of eradica- tion, control and monitoring of animal diseases and zoonoses would ensure a more efficient and effective achievement of the objectives of those programmes and would provide for better and more transparent manage- ment and increased auditability, thus making more effec- tive the use of Community funds. Therefore, it is appropriate to amend the provisions governing those pro- grammes so as to include the possibility to finance multi- annual programmes. (*) Opinion delivered on 12 December 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (?) Opinion delivered on 26 October 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (®) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. Decision as last amended by Decision 2006/782[EC (O] L 328, 24.11.2006, p. 57). G) That review also showed that a list with a limited number of animal diseases and zoonoses eligible for co-financing would increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the eradi- cation, control and monitoring programmes. The list of diseases and zoonoses which reflects Community priori- ties and whose eradication benefits from the Community financial contribution should be established taking into account the potential impact of such diseases and zoonoses on public health and on international and intra- Community trade of animals or product from animal ori- gin. The specific provisions for the control of zoonoses should therefore be deleted. There should be a possibility to amend the list by comitology procedure to take into account emerging animal diseases or new epidemiologi- cal and scientific evidence. In order to simplify the procedure for the approval of the eradication, control and monitoring programmes submit- ted by the Member States to the Commission, provision should be made for a single decision approving the pro- grammes qualifying for a Community financial contribu- tion to replace the two decisions currently required, one listing the programmes qualifying for financial contribu- tion and the second on the approval of the programmes. In order to allow the Commission to monitor the imple- mentation of the programmes, Member States should report regularly to the Commission on the activities car- ried out, on the results achieved and the expenditure incurred. Council Decision 90/638/EEC of 27 November 1990 lay- ing down Community criteria for the eradication and monitoring of certain animal diseases (*) lays down the technical and information requirements for the eradica- tion, control and monitoring programmes for which Com- munity financing is sought. Those technical requirements and information should be updated and adjusted in a regu- lar and timely fashion in order to match technical and sci- entific progress and feedback from experience in the implementation of the programmes. It is therefore appro- priate to enable the Commission to adopt, and update as necessary, those technical criteria. Council Decision 90/638/EEC should be repealed accordingly. (*) OJ L 347, 12.12.1990, p. 27. Decision as amended by Directive 92/65/EEC (OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 54).