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ELIGIBLE ACTIONS IMPLEMENTING THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 3(2)(E) RELATED TO THE PLANT, ANIMAL, FOOD AND FEED AREAS The following actions implementing the specific objective referred to in Article 3(2)(e) shall be eligible for funding:

1. Implementation of veterinary and phytosanitary emergency measures.

1.1. Veterinary and phytosanitary emergency measures to be taken as a result of the official confirmation of the occurrence of one of the animal diseases or zoonoses listed in Annex III or of the official confirmation of the presence of plant pests or if there is a direct threat to the human, animal or plant health status of the Union. The measures referred to in the first paragraph shall be implemented immediately and their application shall comply with the provisions laid down in relevant Union law.

1.2. As regards phytosanitary emergencies, the following measures taken by Member States against an outbreak of pests in a particular area:

(a) eradication and prevention measures against a Union quarantine pest, taken by the competent authority of a Member State pursuant to Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 or pursuant to the Union measures adopted in accordance with Article 28(1) or (3) of that Regulation;

(b) eradication and prevention measures taken by the competent authority of a Member State pursuant to Article 29(1) or 30(4) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 against a pest not listed as a Union quarantine pest but which may qualify as a Union quarantine pest in accordance with the criteria referred to in that Regulation;

(c) additional protective measures taken against the spread of a pest, against which Union measures have been adopted in accordance with Article 28(1) and Article 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, other than the eradication and prevention measures referred to in points (a) and (b) of this point, where those measures are essential to protect the Union against further spread of that pest.

1.3. Union funding may also be provided for the following measures: 1.3.1. Protection or prevention measures taken in the case of a direct threat to the health status of the Union as a result of the occurrence or development, in the territory of a third country, a Member State or an overseas country or territory, of one of the animal diseases or zoonoses listed in Annex III as well as protection measures or other relevant activities, taken in support of the plant health status of the Union; 1.3.2. Measures referred to in this Annex carried out by two or more Member States which collaborate closely to control an animal disease or plant pest outbreak; 1.3.3. The establishment of stocks of biological products intended for the control of the animal diseases and zoonoses listed in Annex III, where the Commission, at the request of a Member State, considers establishment of such stocks necessary in that Member State; 1.3.4. The establishment of stocks of biological products or the acquisition of vaccine doses if the occurrence or the development in a third country or Member State of one of the animal diseases or zoonoses listed in Annex III might constitute a threat to the Union.

1.3.5. In the event of a suspected outbreak of an animal disease or the appearance of plant pests, intensified checks and monitoring within the Union and at its external borders, where needed.

1.3.6. Measures to monitor the appearance of known as well as emerging, previously unknown animal diseases and plant pests.

1.4. Eligible costs 1.4.1. Veterinary emergency measures The following costs incurred by the Member States in carrying out the veterinary emergency measures may qualify for funding:

(a) costs of compensation to owners for the value of their animals slaughtered or culled, limited to the market value that such animals would have had if they had not been affected by the disease;

(b) costs of slaughtering or culling the animals and related transport costs;

(c) costs of compensation to owners for the value of their destroyed products of animal origin, limited to the market value of those products immediately before any suspicion of the disease arose or was confirmed;

(d) costs of cleaning, desinsectisation and disinfection of holdings and equipment, based on the epidemiology and characteristics of the pathogen;

(e) costs for the transport and the destruction of the contaminated feeding stuffs and, where it can not be disinfected, contaminated equipment;

(f) costs of purchase, storage, administration or distribution of vaccines and baits as well as the costs of inoculation itself, if the Commission decides or authorises such actions;

(g) costs of transport and disposal of carcasses;

(h) in exceptional and duly justified cases, costs of serological and virological tests for surveillance and pre-moving tests in restricted zones and any other costs essential for the eradication of the disease.

1.4.2. Phytosanitary emergency measures The following costs incurred by Member States in carrying out the emergency measures in the plant health field may qualify for grants:

(a) costs of personnel, regardless of their status, directly involved in the measures, as well as costs of renting equipment, of consumables and of any other necessary materials, of treatment products, of sampling and of laboratory tests;

(b) costs of service contracts with third parties to execute part of the measures;

(c) costs of compensating the operators or owners concerned for the treatment, the destruction and subsequent removal of plants, of plant products and of other objects, and for the cleaning and disinfection of premises, land, water, soil, growing media, facilities, machinery and equipment;

(d) costs of compensating the owners concerned for the value of the destroyed plants, plant products or other objects subject to the measures referred to in Articles 17, 28(1), 29(1) and 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, limited to the market value that such plants, plant products and other objects would have had if they had not been affected by those measures; the salvage value, if any, shall be deducted from the compensation; and (e) in exceptional and duly justified cases, the costs incurred in carrying out necessary measures other than those referred to in points (a) to (d). The compensation to operators or owners referred to in point (c) shall only be eligible if the measures have been carried out under the supervision of the competent authority.

2. Implementation of annual and multiannual national veterinary and phytosanitary programmes 2.1. Annual and multiannual national veterinary and phytosanitary programmes for the eradication, control and surveillance of animal diseases and zoonoses listed in Annex III and of plant pests have to be implemented in compliance with the provisions laid down in the relevant Union law. The conditions for the actions to qualify for funding shall be set out in the work programme referred to in Article 16. National programmes shall be submitted to the Commission by 31 May of the year preceding the planned implementation period. The Commission shall communicate to Member States by 30 November each year:

(a) the list of national programmes technically approved and proposed for co-financing;

(b) the provisional amount allocated to each programme;

(c) the provisional maximum level of the Union financial contribution for each programme; and (d) any provisional conditions to which the Union financial contribution may be subject. The Commission shall approve the national programmes and the associated funding by 31 January each year by means of a grant agreement in relation to the measures implemented and the costs incurred. Following the submission of intermediate financial reports by the beneficiaries by 31 August of the implementing year, the Commission may, if necessary, amend the grant agreements in relation to the whole eligibility period.

2.2. Eligible costs 2.2.1. The following costs incurred by the Member States in implementing the national veterinary programmes may qualify for Union co-financing:

(a) costs of sampling animals;

(b) costs of tests, provided that they are limited to:

(i) costs of test kits, reagents and consumables which are identifiable and specifically used for carrying out those tests;

(ii) costs of personnel, regardless of their status, directly involved in carrying out the tests;

(c) costs of compensation to owners for the value of their animals slaughtered or culled, limited to the market value that such animals would have had if they had not been affected by the disease;

(d) costs of slaughtering or culling of the animals;

(e) costs of compensation to owners for the value of their destroyed products of animal origin, limited to the market value of those products immediately before any suspicion of the disease arose or was confirmed;

(f) costs of purchase, storage, inoculation, administration or distribution of vaccine doses or vaccine and baits used for the programmes;

(g) costs of cleaning, disinfection, desinsectisation of the holding and equipment based on the epidemiology and characteristics of the pathogen; and (h) in exceptional and duly justified cases, the costs incurred in carrying out necessary measures other than those referred to in points (a) to (g). For the purposes of point (c), the salvage value of the animals, if any, shall be deducted from the compensation. For the purposes of point (d), the salvage value of heat-treated non-incubated eggs shall be deducted from the compensation.

2.2.2. The following costs incurred by the Member States in implementing the national phytosanitary programmes may qualify for Union co-financing:

(a) costs for sampling;

(b) costs for visual examinations;

(c) costs of tests, provided that they are limited to:

(i) the costs of test kits, reagents and consumables which are identifiable and specifically used for carrying out the tests;

(ii) the costs of personnel, regardless of their status, directly involved in carrying out the tests;

(d) costs of personnel, regardless of their status, directly involved in the measures, as well as costs of renting equipment, of consumables and of any other necessary materials, of treatment products, of sampling and of laboratory tests;

(e) costs of service contracts with third parties to execute part of the measures;

(f) costs of compensating the operators or owners concerned for the treatment, the destruction and subsequent removal of plants, of plant products and of other objects, and for the cleaning and disinfection of premises, land, water, soil, growing media, facilities, machinery and equipment;

(g) costs of compensating the owners concerned for the value of the destroyed plants, plant products or other objects subject to the measures referred to in Articles 17, 28(1), 29(1) and 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, limited to the market value that such plants, plant products and other objects would have had if they had not been affected by those measures; the salvage value, if any, shall be deducted from the compensation; and (h) in exceptional and duly justified cases, the costs incurred in carrying out necessary measures other than those referred to in points (a) to (g). The compensation to operators and owners referred to in point (f) shall only be eligible if the measures have been carried out under the supervision of the competent authority.

2.3. If the occurrence or the development of one of the animal diseases or zoonoses listed in Annex III is likely to constitute a threat to the health status of the Union and in order to protect the Union from the introduction of one of those diseases or zoonoses or if protection measures are necessary in support of the plant health status of the Union, Member States may include in their national programmes measures that are to be implemented in territories of third countries in cooperation with the authorities of those countries. Alternatively, Union funding may under the same circumstances and for the same objective be directly awarded to third countries’ competent authorities.

2.4. As regards phytosanitary programmes, Union funding may be awarded to Member States for the following measures:

(a) surveys, over specific periods of time, checking at least for the presence of:

— any Union quarantine pest, and signs or symptoms of any pest subject to the measures referred to in Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 or to measures adopted pursuant to Article 30(1) of that Regulation, pursuant to Article 22(1) of that Regulation or, where applicable, pursuant to Articles 47 to 77 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625;

— priority pests pursuant to Article 24(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031;

(b) surveys, over specific periods of time, checking at least for the presence of any pests, other than the pests referred to in point (a), which might represent an emerging risk for the Union, and of which the entry or spread might have a significant impact on Union territory;

(c) eradication and prevention measures against a Union quarantine pest, taken by the competent authority of a Member State pursuant to Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 or pursuant to the Union measures adopted in accordance with Article 28(1) or (3) of that Regulation;

(d) eradication and prevention measures taken by the competent authority of a Member State pursuant to Article 29(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 against a pest, not listed as a Union quarantine pest, which may qualify as a Union quarantine pest in accordance with the criteria referred to in that Regulation;

(e) additional protective measures taken against the spread of a pest, against which Union measures have been adopted pursuant to Articles 28(1) and 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, other than the eradication and prevention measures referred to in points (c) and (d) of this point and the containment measures referred to in point (f) of this point, where those measures are essential to protect the Union against further spread of that pest;

(f) measures to contain a pest, against which Union containment measures have been adopted pursuant to Article 28(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 or Article 30(3) of that Regulation, in an infested area from which that pest cannot be eradicated, where those measures are essential to protect the Union against further spread of that pest. The work programmes referred to in Article 16(4) shall determine the list of plant pests to be covered under these measures.

3. Implementation of phytosanitary programmes for the control of pests in the outermost regions of the Union referred to in Article 355(1) TFEU which are excluded from the territorial scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, in line with the objectives set out in Article 24 of Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council . Those programmes shall concern activities necessary to ensure the correct implementation in those regions of the rules in force there on the control of pests, whether they are Union rules or national rules.

4. Activities to support the improvement of the welfare of animals, including measures to ensure compliance with animal welfare standards and traceability including during animal transport.

5. Support for European Union reference laboratories, referred to in Article 92 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, and the European Union reference centres referred to in Articles 95 and 97 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and in Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1012.

6. During a period of up to three years after the designation of the European Union reference laboratory of the specific area, where appropriate and in line with Article 10(1), obtaining accreditation regarding test and diagnostic methods at national plant health reference laboratories and national animal health reference laboratories.

7. Implementation of coordinated control programmes and organisation of information and data collection, referred to in Article 112 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.

8. Activities for preventing food waste and combating food fraud.

9. Activities supporting sustainable food production and consumption, including short supply chains.

10. Development of data-bases and computerised information management systems necessary for the effective and efficient implementation of the legislation related to the specific objective referred to in Article 3(2)(e) and having a proven added value for the Union as a whole; as well as implementation of new technologies to improve traceability of products.

11. Training of the staff of the competent authorities responsible for official controls and other parties involved in the management or prevention of animal diseases or plant pests, as referred to in Article 130 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.

12. Payment of travel, accommodation and daily subsistence expenses incurred by Member States’ experts as a result of the Commission appointing them to assist its experts as provided for in Articles 116(4) and 120(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.

13. Performance of technical and scientific work necessary to ensure the correct implementation of the legislation in the area related to the specific objective referred to in Article 3(2)(e) and the adaptation of that legislation to scientific, technological and societal developments, including studies and coordination activities necessary for the prevention of the appearance of emerging plant pests and animal diseases.

14. Activities carried out by the Member States or international organisations with the aim of achieving the specific objective referred to in Article 3(2)(e) in support of the development and implementation of the rules related to that objective.

15. Performance of projects organised by one or more Member States with the aim of improving, through the use of innovative techniques and protocols, the efficient implementation of the specific objective referred to in Article 3(2)(e).

16. Implementation of information and awareness raising initiatives by the Union and Member States with the aim of ensuring improved, compliant and sustainable food production and consumption, including food waste prevention contributing to the circular economy and food fraud prevention activities, as well as other initiatives contributing to a high level of health for plants and animals, and food and feed safety, as part of the implementation of the rules in the area of the specific objective referred to in Article 3(2)(e).

17. Implementation of measures to protect human, animal and plant health and animal welfare, in respect of animals, animal products, plants, plant products and other relevant objects arriving from third countries at a Union border.