COMMISSION DECISION of 20 December 1993 concerning the grant of assistance from the cohesion financial instrument to the following project in Ireland: rail network improvement No CF: 93/07/65/019 93/07/65/023 93/07/65/024 93/07/65/025 (Only the English text is authentic) (94/429/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 792/93 of 30 March 1993 establishing a cohesion financial instrument (1), and in particular Article 8 (6) thereof,
Whereas Article 1 of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93 establishes a cohesion financial instrument to provide Community support for projects in the fields of the environment and trans-European transport infrastructure networks;
Whereas pursuant to Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93 certain provisions of Titles VI and VII of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 of 19 December 1988 concerning the provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards coordination of the activities of the different Structural Funds between themselves and with the operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments (2), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2082/93 (3), are to apply, mutatis mutandis;
Whereas Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93 defines the types of measures for which the cohesion financial instrument may provide assistance;
Whereas Article 10 of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93 requires the Member States to ensure that adequate publicity is given to the operations of the financial instrument and that measures which are described in Annex V to this Decision are undertaken;
Whereas references to 'project' shall be understood to mean also 'set of projects';
Whereas on 28 July 1993 Ireland has submitted an application for assistance from the cohesion financial instrument for the rail network improvement project;
Whereas that application concerns a project which is eligible under the terms of Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93;
Whereas the application for assistance contains all the information required by Article 8 (4) of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93 and satisfies the criteria set out in Article 8 (3) and (5) of that Regulation;
Whereas the project is a transport infrastructure project of common interest;
Whereas the project forms part of the master plan for a trans-European rail network;
Whereas Article 1 of the Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (4), as last amended by Council Regulation (Euratom ECSC, EEC) No 610/90 (5), states that the legal commitments entered into for measures extending over more than one financial year shall contain a time limit for implementation which must be specified to the recipient in due form when the aid is granted;
Whereas pursuant to Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93, the Commission and the Member State will ensure that there is evaluation and systematic monitoring of the project;
Whereas the financial implementation provisions, monitoring and assessment are specified in Annexes III and IV to this Decision;
Whereas failure to comply with those provisions may result in suspension or reduction of the assistance granted pursuant to Article 9 (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93;
Whereas all the other conditions laid down have been complied with,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
1. The stage of the rail network improvement project situated in Ireland as described in Annex I hereto is hereby approved for the period 1 January 1993 to 31 March 1994.
2. References to 'project' in the following Articles and Annexes shall be understood to mean also 'stage of project'.
Article 2
1. The maximum eligible expenditure to be taken as the basis for this Decision shall be ECU 18 124 000.
2. The rate of Community assistance granted to the project shall be fixed at 85 %.
3. The maximum amount of the contribution from the cohesion financial instrument shall be fixed at ECU 15 405 400.
4. The contribution is committed from the 1993 budget.
Article 3
1. Community assistance shall be based on the financial plan for the project set out in Annex II.
2. Commitments and payments of Community assistance granted to the project shall be made in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 792/93 and as specified in Annex III.
3. The amount of the first advance payment shall be fixed at ECU 3 400 000.
Article 4
1. Community assistance shall cover expenditure on the project for which legally binding arrangements have been made in Ireland and for which the requisite finance has been specifically allocated to works to be completed not later than 31 March 1994.
2. Expenditure incurred before 1 January 1993 shall not be eligible for assistance.
3. The closing date for the completion of national payments on the project is fixed not later than 12 months after the date mentioned in subparagraph 1.
Article 5
1. The project shall be carried out in accordance with Community policies, and in particular with Articles 7, 30, 52 and 59 of the Treaty, as well as with Community law, in particular with the Directives coordinating public procurement procedures.
2. This Decision shall not prejudice the right of the Commission to commence infringement proceedings pursuant to Article 169 of the Treaty.
Article 6
Systematic monitoring and assessment of the project take place in accordance with the provisions set out in Annex IV hereto.
Article 7
The Member State concerned shall ensure adequate publicity for the project as specified in Annex V.
Article 8
Each Annex to this Decision shall form an integral part of it.
Article 9
Failure to comply with the provisions of this Decision or its Annexes may entail a reduction or suspension of assistance in accordance with the provisions set out in Annex VI.
Article 10
This Decision is addressed to Ireland.
Done at Brussels, 20 December 1993.