11.11.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 293/13 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 6 November 2003 on a Community financial contribution to cover expenditure incurred by France, Portugal and Finland for the purpose of combating organisms harmful to plants or plant products (notified under document number C(2003) 4027) (Only the French, Portuguese, Finnish and Swedish texts are authentic) (2003/787[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community (') (‘the Direc- tive’), as amended by Commission Directive 2003/47/EC (), and in particular Article 23 thereof, Whereas: () ) Pursuant to the Directive, a financial contribution from the Community may be granted to Member States to cover expenditure relating directly to the necessary measures which have been taken or are planned to be taken for the purpose of combating harmful organisms introduced from third countries or from other areas in the Community, in order to eradicate or, if that is not possible, to contain them. France, Portugal and Finland have each established a programme of actions to eradicate organisms harmful to plants introduced in their territories. These programmes specify the objectives to be achieved, the measures carried out, their duration and their cost. They have applied for the allocation of a Community financial contribution to these programmes within the time limit OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1. OJ L 138, 5.6.2003, p. 47. set out in the Directive and in accordance with Commis- sion Regulation (EC) No 1040/2002 of 14 June 2002 establishing detailed rules for the implementation of the provisions relating to the allocation of a financial contri- bution from the Community for plant-health control and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2051/97 (*) (‘the Regu- lation’). The expenditure which France, Portugal and Finland have incurred, and which is taken into account in this Decision, relates directly to the matters specified in Article 23(2)(a) and (b) of the Directive. The technical information provided for by France, Portugal and Finland has enabled the Commission to analyse the situation accurately and comprehensively; the information has also been considered by the Standing Committee on Plant Health. The Commission has concluded that the conditions for the granting of a financial contribution in Article 23 of the Directive have been met. Accordingly, it is appropriate to provide a Community financial contribution to cover the expenditure on these programmes. The Community financial contribution may cover up to 50 % of eligible expenditure. Excluding the programme for which degression has to be applied in accordance with Article 23(5), third subparagraph, of the Directive, the Community financial contribution for the purposes of this Decision should be 50 %. () OJ L 157, 15.6.2002, p. 38.