Point 13. Any other businesss

The Committee considered the financial position of the Trust Fund MTF/INT/003/EEC, after receiving a report on the Final financial position for 2007 (Appendix 25), the projected financial situation at the end of 2008 and 2009 (Appendix 26). The depreciation of the US$ by 20% against the euro, while costs remained effectively fixed to the euro, would result in a worsening negative balance for the MTF/INT/003/EEC by the end of 2008, if corrective measures were not taken. The Committee considered cost-saving measures, and measures to offset the impact of the depreciation of the $US. Clarification of expenditure was requested from the Secretary on the proposed travel budget. It was agreed that measures were urgently required to address the potential deficit situation at end of 2008 and 2009, and that the Executive Committee had a duty to address the financial situation.

Recommendations

28. The call to Member States for their annual contributions should, subject to the FAO Financial procedures, be made in € for the eurozone countries, using the levels of € and US$ contribution in the paper presented and agreed by MS at the 37th Session, giving MS the option of selecting the currency for their contributions; 29. Travel budget in 2008 and 2009 should be kept to the level of actual expenditure in 2007, and thereby produce savings from that agreed at the 37th Session; 30. Savings should be made in the administrative costs of the Commission, including a reduction in the salary costs through the recruitment of an Administrative Clerk at a G4 or lower G5 level that will enable the costs of this position in 2009 to fall to a target of less that 115,000 US$ per annum. ITEM 13. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Veterinary Public Health/Animal Health Co-ordination Forum for the Balkan Region Dr Herzog, CVO Austria and Vice-Chairman of the Commission, addressed the issue raised at the 75th Session, of improving the co-ordination of animal health initiatives in the Balkan Region/South-eastern Europe (presentation - Appendix 27). After consultation with FAO/EUFMD, OIE (Dr Vallat) and EC (van Goethem, SANCO), Austria was ready to host a first meeting (9-10th December to bring together national delegates from the national veterinary services, together with international organizations (FAO, EC, OIE, FVE, WHO), in order to identify how the Forum could work to improve co-ordination between MS, between MS and international, and between the agencies, to avoid overlaps and ensure agencies could respond to gaps or emerging problems. In his view, the Forum should avoid prescribing solutions, and since brucellosis and rabies were high priorities in the region, but also classical swine fever, the first meeting should decide on priorities and title. Recommendations

31. The proposal was appreciated by the members as filling a gap in the current co-ordination arrangements between national and regional bodies, and Dr Herzog was encouraged to proceed with the arrangements for the first meeting; 32. the operating procedures of the Forum should be established in close consultation with FAO and

OIE, as far as possible to be allied or under the overall direction of the Regional Steering

Committee of the FAO OIE GF-TADS.

Tripartite Meeting on the control of FMD and other exotic diseases in the Southern Balkans The proposal from Greece was supported by Bulgaria and Turkey, to hold the next TPT in Lesvos, Greece, 29-30th October. Dates of the 77th Executive; the proposal of Austria was welcomed, to hold the ExC77 on the 11-12th December, back to back with the Balkan Regional VPH Forum EUFMD logo The proposals were reviewed, with the lowercase proposal preferred and an upper case proposal as stand-by, should objections or substantive reasons arise in the use of the first choice.

76th Session of the Executive Committee of the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease 8