L 322/16 Official Journal of the European Union 9.12.2003 COMMISSION DECISION of 28 November 2003 approving programmes for the eradication and monitoring of certain animal diseases and for the prevention of zoonoses presented by the Member States for the year 2004 and fixing the level of the Community's financial contribution (notified under document number C(2003) 4424) (2003/849(EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Act of Accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic, and in particular the first paragraph of Article 32 thereof, Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (), and in particular Article 24(6) and Article 29 and 32 thereof, Whereas: (1) Decision 90/424[EEC provides for the possibility of a financial contribution by the Community in the eradica- tion and monitoring of animal diseases and for checks aimed at the prevention of zoonoses. () Member States and Acceding States have submitted programmes for the eradication of certain animal diseases and for the prevention of zoonoses in their territories. (3)  Article 32 of the Act of Accession of 2003 lays down that the new Member States are to receive the same treatment as the present Member States as regards expenditure under veterinary funds. (4 However, no financial commitment under the 2004 budget for any programme concerned may be made before the accession of the concerned Acceding Member State has taken place. Furthermore, the eradication and the monitoring of certain diseases in Acceding Member States can also be co-financed by other Community instruments. (5)  After examination those programmes were found to comply with relevant Community veterinary legislation and in particular with the Community criteria relating to (") OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. Decision as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 806/2003 (O] L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1). the eradication of those diseases, in accordance with Council Decision 90/638/EEC of 27 November 1990 laying down Community criteria for the eradication and monitoring of certain animal diseases (). (6)  Those programmes appear on the list of programmes established by Commission Decision 2003/743/EC of 14 October 2003 on the list of programmes for the eradica- tion and monitoring of animal diseases and of checks aimed at the prevention of zoonoses qualifying for a financial contribution from the Community in 2004 (). (7)  In the light of the importance of those programmes for the achievement of Community objectives in the field of animal and public health, it is appropriate to fix the financial contribution of the Community at 50 % of the costs to be incurred by the Member States concerned for the measures referred to in this Decision up to a maximum amount for each programme. (8)  Under Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (), programmes for the monitoring and eradica- tion of animal diseases are to be financed under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund; for financial control purposes, Articles 8 and 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1258/ 1999 apply. (9)  The financial contribution from the Community should be granted subject to the condition that the actions planned are efficiently carried out and that the compe- tent authorities supply all the necessary information within the time limits laid down in this Decision. (10)  There is a need to clarify the rate to be used for the conversion of the payment applications submitted in national currency as defined in Article 1(d) of Council Regulation (EC) 2799/98 of 15 December 1998 estab- lishing agrimonetary arrangements for the euro (°). () OJ L 347,12.12.1990, p. 27. Revision as last amended by Directive 92/65/EEC (O] L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 54). () OJ L 268, 18.10.2003, p. 77. () OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103. () OJ L 349, 24.12.1998, p. 1.