21.1.2014 Official Journal of the European Union L 16/41 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 17 January 2014 on a Union financial aid for the year 2014 to European Union reference laboratories (notified under document C(2014) 104) (Only the Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish texts are authentic) (2014/27EV) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Decision 2009/470/EC of 25 May 2009 on expenditure in the veterinary field (!), and in particular Article 31(2) thereof, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules (%), and in particular Article 32(7) thereof, Whereas: (1)  In accordance with Article 84 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council () (the Financial Regulation) and Article 94 of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 (*) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Rules of Application’), the commitment of expenditure from the Union budget shall be preceded by a financing decision setting out the essential elements of the action involving expenditure from the budget and adopted by the institution or the authorities to which powers have been delegated by the Institution. () OJ L 155, 18.6.2009, p. 30. () OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1. (®) Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (O] L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1). (%) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 of 29 October 2012 on the rules of application of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 9662012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (O] L 362, 31.12.2012, p. 1). (2)  The Commission services have assessed and approved the work programmes and corresponding budget estimates submitted in 2013 by the EU reference laboratories for the year 2014. (3)  Accordingly, a Union financial aid should be granted to the EU reference laboratories designated in order to co- finance their activities which consist of carrying out the functions and duties provided for in Article 32 of Regu- lation (EC) No 882/2004. The Union’s financial aid should be at the rate of 100 % of eligible costs within the limit of the amount of the EU financial aid granted in the present Decision. 4y Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 135/2013 (°) lays down eligibility rules for the workshops organised by the EU reference laboratories. It also limits the financial aid to a maximum of 32 participants, 3 invited speakers and 10 representatives of third countries in workshops. Derogations to that limitation should be provided for some European Union reference laboratories that need support for attendance by more than 32 participants in order to achieve the best outcome of their workshops. Dero- gations can be obtained in particular in case an EU reference laboratory takes the leadership and responsi- bility when organising a workshop with another European Union reference laboratory. (5)  For the six EU reference laboratories designated within the Joint Research Centre, the relationship is laid down in an annual administrative arrangement supported by a work programme and its budget as the Joint Research Centre and the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers are both services of the Commission. (6)  The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, (’) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 135/2013 of 18 February 2013 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 926/2011 for the purposes of Council Decision 2009/470/EC as regards Union financial aid to the EU reference laboratories for feed and food and the animal health sector (O] L 46, 19.2.2013, p- 8).