THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
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(1), and in particular Article 66 thereof,
Having regard to Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents(2), and in particular Article 5 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 lays down, among others, procedures governing a financial support from the Union to conduct measures necessary to ensure the application of the Regulation (EC) No 882/2004.
(2) Reports on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and antimicrobial resistance in the Union were issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in 2006(3) and 2007(4) (EFSA-ECDC reports). According to those reports, a total of 1 588 cases of listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes) in humans were registered in 25 Member States in 2006. In addition, 1 558 such cases were registered in 26 Member States in 2007. The reports further demonstrated a significant increase in the incidence of such cases in humans over the period 2001-2006. Illness is often severe and mortality is high.
(3) The fact that Listeria monocytogenes is able to multiply in various foods at temperatures as low as 2 to 4 °C makes the occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods with a relatively long shelf-life of particular concern.
(4) Pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs(5), food business operators are to comply with Listeria monocytogenes food safety criteria for ready-to-eat foods within the framework of good hygiene practises and hazard analysis of critical control point (HACCP) programmes.
(5) The EFSA-ECDC reports showed that the highest proportions of non-compliance with the Listeria monocytogenes criteria were registered in ready-to-eat cheese and in ready-to-eat fishery and heat treated meat products.
(6) The exposure of humans to Listeria monocytogenes is mainly food-borne. Therefore the prevalence and level of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in ready-to-eat fishery products, cheeses and heat treated meat products should be estimated in a harmonised and comparable way by means of a coordinated monitoring programme at retail level in all Member States.
(7) The growth of Listeria monocytogenes in a ready-to-eat product is influenced significantly by the pH, water activity and storage temperature of the product. A modelling can be used for the estimation of the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in a ready-to-eat product under various temperature conditions.
(8) Where there are no relevant definitions in the Union legislation, the definitions in the Codex General Standard for Cheese (CODEX STAN 283-1978, amendment 2008) and in the Codex Group Standard for Unripened Cheese including Fresh Cheese (CODEX STAN 221-2001, amendment 2008) issued by the Codex Alimentarius Commission should be used to guarantee the harmonized approach in defining ready-to-eat cheeses.
(9) Directive 2003/99/EC provides that coordinated monitoring programmes may be established, especially when specific needs are identified, to assess risks and to establish baseline values related to zoonoses and zoonotic agents.
(10) In May 2009, the Task Force on Monitoring of Zoonoses Data Collection of EFSA adopted a Report on proposed technical specifications for a co-ordinated monitoring programme for Listeria monocytogenes in certain categories of RTE foods at retail in the EU(6).
(11) Given the importance of collecting comparable data on the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods, a financial contribution from the Union for carrying out such coordinated monitoring programme should be granted.
(12) It is appropriate to reimburse costs incurred on the laboratory testing, subject to a ceiling. All other costs incurred, such as costs for sampling, travel and administration should not be eligible for any financial contribution from the Union.
(13) A financial contribution from the Union should be granted insofar as the coordinated monitoring programme is carried out in accordance with this Decision and provided that the competent authorities furnish all the necessary information within the time limits provided for therein.
(14) For reasons of administrative efficiency all expenditure presented for a financial contribution from the Union should be expressed in euro. In accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy(7), the conversion rate for expenditure in a currency other than euro should be the rate most recently set by the European Central Bank prior to the first day of the month in which the application for reimbursement is submitted by the Member State concerned.
(15) The present Decision constitutes a financing Decision within the meaning of Article 75 of the Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (Financial Regulation)(8), Article 90 of the detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation, and Article 15 of the Internal Rules on the Implementation of the general budget of the European Communities.
(16) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
The EFSA Journal (2007) 130.
The EFSA Journal (2009) 223.
The EFSA Journal (2009) 300, pp. 1-66.