COMMISSION DECISION
of 13 December 1999
concerning funding of implementing measures for the harmonised indices of consumer prices
(notified under document number C(1999) 4428)
(2000/30/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 of 23 October 1995 concerning harmonised indices of consumer prices(1), and in particular Article 13 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Each Member State is required to produce a harmonised index of consumer prices (HICPs) starting with the index for January 1997 and implementing measures are adopted for ensuring the comparability of HICP and for maintaining their reliability and relevance in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 2494/95.
(2) The initial implementing measures required additional resources in Member States at a cost estimated at EUR 4,5 million up to the end of the second year of implementation of those measures and whereas the Commission bore two thirds of the additional costs in accordance with Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 2494/95.
(3) Further implementing measures require additional resources in Member States at a cost estimated at EUR 1012500 until the end of the second year of implementation of these measures and whereas the Commission should bear two thirds of the additional costs in accordance with Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 2494/95,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The aim of this Decision is to allocate funds to Member States for the budget year 1999 in order to meet two thirds of the additional costs of implementing measures arising directly from Regulation (EC) No 2494/95. These measures are to be implemented with the index for January 2000 and the index for January 2001. Funding shall cover additional costs until the end of the year 2001.
Article 2
The Member States shall use the financial contribution exclusively for carrying out the following actions arising from implementing Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 and in particular:
(a) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1749/96 of 9 September 1996 on initial implementing measures for Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 concerning harmonised indices of consumer prices(2), as amended by Council Regulations (EC) No 1687/98(3) and (EC) No 1688/98(4) concerning in particular the coverage of goods and services and the geographic and population coverage of the HICP;
(b) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1749/1999(5) amending Regulation (EC) No 2214/96, concerning the transmission and dissemination of sub-indices of the HICP, and
(c) Council Regulation (EC) No 2166/1999(6), concerning the treatment of products in the health, education and social protection sectors in the HICP.
Article 3
1. The allocation of funds as concerns the two thirds of expenses to be borne by the Commission, is as follows:
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2. The financial contribution allocated to Member States under paragraph 1 shall be awarded to the organisations and institutions responsible for compiling the harmonised indices of consumer prices at national level, the registered offices of which are listed at Annex I to this Decision.
Article 4
1. Allowable costs are those costs which are necessary and additional in the sense of Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 and calculated in accordance with the provisions of Annex II to this Decision.
2. Total payments to each Member State shall not exceed its allocation according to Article 3.
3. In the case of costs lower than estimated, the Commission contribution shall be limited to two thirds of the Member State's actual allowable costs according to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 2494/95.
4. Where accounting records do not justify the use made of the financial contribution, Member States shall refund to the Commission, at its request, all sums already paid in excess of that justified by the records.
Article 5
1. In consideration of the progress of work done under this financial contribution, the Commission undertakes to pay according to the following procedure:
- 50 % on the notification of this Decision,
- by instalments, each paid after receipt and acceptance by the Commission of the respective periodic progress reports and corresponding costs statements. The advance and instalments shall not cumulatively exceed 90 % of the maximum Commission contribution allocated to each Member State under Article 3(1),
- the outstanding balance after receipt and acceptance by the Commission of final cost statements and final reports.
2. Final cost statements and final reports shall be submitted to the Commission by the end of the second year of implementation of the measures referred to in Article 2.
3. Payments shall be made within 60 days of request for payment by Member States and acceptance of reports by the Commission. The payments shall be deemed to have been made on the date on which they are debited to the Commission's account.
Article 6
1. Member States shall provide the Commission at its request with further information sufficient to evaluate compliance with the provisions of the present Decision.
2. The original of all supporting documents shall be kept for verification purposes for five years after full payment. During this period, monitoring and audits may be carried out by the Commission Services. The utilisation of the amounts allocated under this Decision shall also be subject to audit by the European Court of Auditors.
Article 7
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 13 December 1999.