Commission Decision of 31 January 2006 concerning a financial contribution by the Community for the implementation of an epidemiological survey and bluetongue surveillance measures in the context of the emergency measures taken to combat this disease in Portugal in 2004 and 2005 (notified under document number C(2006) 166) (Only the Portuguese text is authentic) (2006/78/EC) (c. 78)

Article 1 Granting of a financial contribution from the Community to Portugal

1. In the context of the emergency measures taken to combat bluetongue in 2004 and 2005, Portugal shall be entitled to a financial contribution from the Community amounting to 50 % of the expenditure incurred for the costs of the laboratory tests for serological and virological surveillance and for the costs of entomological surveillance, including the purchase of traps.

2. The maximum amounts of the costs to be reimbursed to Portugal for the tests and the traps referred to in paragraph 1 shall not exceed:

(a) for serological surveillance, Elisa test: EUR 2,5 per test;

(b) for virological surveillance, RT.PCR test: EUR 15 per test;

(c) for entomological surveillance, trap: EUR 160 per trap.

3. The financial contribution from the Community shall exclude value added tax.

Article 2 Payment arrangements

Subject to the results of the on-the-spot checks carried out in accordance with Article 9(1) of Decision 90/424/EEC, an initial instalment of EUR 600 000 shall be paid, as part of the Community financial contribution provided for in Article 1.

That payment shall be made on the basis of supporting documents submitted by Portugal relating to the laboratory tests and the purchase of traps referred to in Article 1(1).

Article 3 Payment conditions and supporting documents

1. The financial contribution from the Community as referred to in Article 1 shall be paid on the basis of:

(a) an application containing the data specified in the Annex submitted within the time limit set out in paragraph 2 of this Article;

(b) the supporting documents referred to in Article 2, including an epidemiological report and a financial report;

(c) the results of any on-the-spot checks carried out in accordance with Article 9(1) of Decision 90/424/EEC.

The documents referred to in point (b) shall be made available for on-the-spot checks referred to in point (c).

2. The application referred to in paragraph 1(a) shall be submitted in computerised form within sixty calendar days following the date of notification of this Decision. If that time limit is not observed, the financial contribution from the Community shall be reduced by 25 % for every month of delay.

Article 4 Addressee

This Decision is addressed to the Portuguese Republic.

Done at Brussels, 31 January 2006.

For the Commission

Markos Kyprianou

Member of the Commission