18.12.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 341/69

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 empowers the Commission to delegate powers to the executive agencies to implement all or part of a Union programme or project, on its behalf and under its responsibility.

(2)

The purpose of entrusting the executive agencies with programme implementation tasks is to enable the Commission to focus on its core activities and functions which cannot be outsourced, without relinquishing control over, and ultimate responsibility for, activities managed by those executive agencies.

(3)

The delegation of tasks related to programme implementation to an executive agency requires a clear separation between the programming stages involving a large measure of discretion in making choices driven by policy considerations, this being carried out by the Commission, and programme implementation, which should be entrusted to the executive agency.

(4)

By Decision 2004/858/EC (2), the Commission created the Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme (hereinafter referred to as the Agency) and entrusted it with the management of the programme of Community action in the field of public health for the period from 1 January 2003 until 31 December 2008, adopted by Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (3).

(5)

Subsequently, the Commission amended the Agency‘檚 mandate on several occasions, extending it to cover the management of new projects and programmes. Commission Decision 2008/544/EC (4) transformed the ‘楨xecutive Agency for the Public Health Programme‘�into the ‘楨xecutive Agency for Health and Consumers‘� extended its mandate until 31 December 2015 and included in it the implementation of the Public Health Programme 2008-2013 adopted by Decision No 1350/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (5), the Consumer Programme for 2007-2013 as adopted by Decision No 1926/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) and the food safety training measures covered by Council Directive 2000/29/EC (7) and Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8). Commission Implementing Decision 2012/740/EU (9) extended the scope of the Agency‘檚 activities to training measures outside the Member States and entrusted it with managing the food safety training measures covered by Commission Decision C(2012) 1548 (10), and by Article 22(1) and (3) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (11). It also entrusted the Agency with managing the agreement with ANEC, the European consumer voice in standardisation, which is governed by Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (12).

(6)

The Agency set up by Decision 2004/858/EC has demonstrated its effectiveness and efficiency. An interim evaluation of the Public Health Executive Agency (known as the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers since July 2008) has been carried out by external consultants. The final report of December 2010 has shown that public health programme implementation tasks could be performed more efficiently by the Agency, whilst ensuring the overall management by the Commission of those Community programmes and measures.

(7)

In its Communication of 29 June 2011‘楢 budget for Europe 2020‘�a href="#ntr13-L_2013341EN.01006901-E0013" id="ntc13-L_2013341EN.01006901-E0013" shape="rect"> (13)