COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2717/98 of 16 December 1998 concerning applications for reimbursement by the Community of expenditure paid by the Member States to producer organisations granted preliminary recognition in the fruit and vegetables sector
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables (1), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2520/97 (2), and in particular Article 52(3) thereof,
Whereas, in accordance with Article 52(2) of that Regulation, aid granted by the Member States pursuant to Article 14 thereof constitutes a common measure within the meaning of Article 2(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4256/88 of 19 December 1988 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards the EAGGF Guidance Section (3), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2085/93 (4); whereas such aid is covered by the annual expenditure forecasts and the rules on payments referred to respectively in Articles 31(1) and 33 of Council Regulation (EC) No 950/97 of 20 May 1997 on improving the efficiency of agricultural structures (5), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 2331/98 (6);
Whereas applications for part-financing by the EAGGF Guidance Section as provided for in Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 20/98 of 7 January 1998 laying down rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 as regards aid to producer organisations granted preliminary recognition (7) must include certain particulars and data to be presented in an identical form by the Member States; whereas, with a view to a thorough check of their conformity with Regulations (EC) No 2200/96 and (EC) No 20/98, the Commission must be able to demand access to the relevant supporting documents;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee on Agricultural Structures and Rural Development,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Applications for part-financing drawn up by the Member States in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 20/98 must be presented in accordance with the Annex hereto.
Article 2
1. With the first application for part-financing, the Member States shall send the Commission their national implementing provisions and administrative instructions, together with the forms and any other documents relating to the administrative implementation of the measure. Any amendment thereto shall be forwarded to the Commission with the first application for part-financing following such amendment.
2. With a view to checks of applications for reimbursement of the aid provided for in Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, the Member States shall send the Commission, at the latter's request and within the time limit laid down, any supporting documents or certified copies thereof other than as referred to in paragraph 1 which may be relevant for the purposes of calculating that aid.
Article 3
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 16 December 1998.