The European Commission, on the 24th April 2008, published its decision on financial aid from the Community for the year 2008 for certain Community reference laboratories in the field of animal health and live animals.

The Commissionm has released its decision on granting aid to several members states regarding the control o flocalised and wide spread deseases in animals. Community financial assistance have been granted to the Community reference laboratories designated to carry out the functions and duties provided for:

• Control of classical swine fever.
• Control of Newcastle disease.
• Control of avian influenza.
• Control of certain animals diseases and specific measures relating swine vesicular disease.
• Control of foot-andmouth disease.
• Control of certain fish diseases.
• Control of certain diseases affecting bivalve molluscs.
• Control rules and measures to combat African horse sickness.
• Control and eradication of bluetongue.
• Designating a specific institute responsible for establishing the criteria necessary for standardising the serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of rabies vaccines.
• Regulation for brucellosis.
• Control of African swine fever.
• Designating the reference body responsible for collaborating in rendering uniform the testing methods and the assessment of the results for pure-bred breeding animals of the bovine species.

Budgets and work programme.

Germany has been aloted a total of 241,000 Euros to be used between 1st Janurary and 31st December 2008. 18,000 euros of which shall be dedicated to the organisation of a technical workshop on classical swine fever diagnostic techniques.

For avian influenza, the Community grants financial assistance to the Veterinary Laboratories, in the UK, has been set at 78,000 euros.

For swine vesicular disease, the Community grants financial assistance to the AFRC Institute for Animal Health, also in the UK, has been set at 135,000 euros for the period from 1st January to 31st December 2008.

For rabies serology, the Community grants financial assistance to the AFSSA, Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, Nancy, France. The aid is set at 200,000 for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2008.