Article 4
1. Each year, by 15 September at the latest, the Commission shall prepare a list of programmes to be considered which therefore are eligible for a financial contribution from the Community. For the purpose of assuring an effective and consistent contribution, and taking into account the evolution of the phytosanitary situation in the Community, the Commission shall rank the above programmes. In the above ranking, priority shall be given to those programmes that satisfy as much as possible the following criteria: - protect the interest of the whole Community, - show a higher probability of efficacy, - supply the required information regarding the identity of the consignment. 2. The list, which shall detail the amount of the proposed Community financial contribution to each programme, shall be submitted for discussion to the Standing Committee on Plant Health. If applicable, the rate of degressivity of the financial contribution shall also be mentioned. 3. Each programme included in the list referred to in point 2 shall be approved individually in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 18 of Directive 2000/29/EC. Such approval shall include the rate of the financial contribution from the Community, any conditions to which it may be subject and the upper limit of the contribution. The financial contribution from the Community shall not be granted where the total amount of eligible expenditure per year, defined according to the provision of Article 4(1), is less than EUR 50000.