NoL333/24 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 2.12,76
II
(Actswhosepublicationisnotobligatory)
COUNCIL
FINANCIAL REGULATION
of21October1976
amendingtheFinancialRegulationof25April1973applicabletothegeneral
budgetoftheEuropeanCommunities
(76/892/ECSC,EEC,Euratom)
neededtofinanceprojectscarriedoutinfulfilmentof
theseobligations ;
Whereassuchadistinctionprejudicesneitherthe
generalprincipleoftheannualnatureofthebudget
northespecialprovisionsalreadyadoptedinrespect
ofcertainexpenditure ;
Whereas,underthetermsofArticle9oftheCouncil
Decisionof1February1971onthereformofthe
EuropeanSocialFund(2),theFinancialRegulations ,
adoptedinpursuanceofArticle209oftheTreaty
determinethemethodswherebyexpendituremaybe
authorizedforafurthertwo-yearperiodaftertheend
ofthecurrentfinancialyear;whereastheintroduction
ofcommitmentappropriations issuchastogiveeffect
tothisprovision,THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
CoalandSteelCommunity ,andinparticularArticle
78(f)thereof,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
EconomicCommunity ,andinparticularArticle209
thereof,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
AtomicEnergyCommunity ,andinparticularArticle
183thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParlia­
ment('),
WhereassomeCommunityprojectsnecessarilyextend
overseveralyears;
Whereasthecommitment oftherelevantappropria­
tionsoftenextendsoverseveralfinancialyears;
Whereasthebudgetappropriations committedfor
theseprojectscannotbeutilizedduringthefinancial
yearforwhichtheywereopenedbecausethe
paymentsrelatingtotheseprojectsarespreadover
severalfinancialyears;
Whereas,forsuchprojects,adistinctionshouldbe
drawnbetweenappropriations requiredtocoverthe
legalobligationsenteredintoandappropriationsHASADOPTEDTHISFINANCIAL REGULATION :
Article1
FinancialRegulation73/91/ECSC,EEC,Euratomof
25April1973applicabletothegeneralbudgetofthe
EuropeanCommunities (3),isamendedbythe
followingArticles.
Article2
Thefirstsubparagraph ofArticle1(3)shallbe
replacedbythefollowing :
')OJNoC238,11.10.1976,p.27.(2)OJNoL28,4.2.1971,p.15.
(3)OJNoL116,1.5.1973,p.1.

2.12.76 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL333/25
WithoutprejudicetoArticle16a,TitleVII,Article
107,Article114andTitleXa,expendituremay
notbeauthorizedforaperiodexceedingthefinan­
cialyear.'
Article3
ThefollowingArticle16ashallbeaddedtoTitleII,
SectionII:
'Article16a
1.Whenbudgetappropriations areintendedto
financeprojectscoveredbyparagraph4which
requiremorethanoneyeartoexecute,thebudget
shallshowundertheheadingoftheseprojectsfor
thefinancialyearconcerned :
(a)thecommitmentappropriations ;
(b)thepaymentappropriations .
2.Commitment appropriations areintendedto
enablethefulfilment,duringthefinancialyear
concerned,ofthelegalobligationstobeenteredinto
inordertocarryout-theprojectsreferredtoinpara­
graph1.
Theyshallrepresenttheceilingofexpenditure
whichmaybecommittedforcarryingouttherele­
vantprojects.
Commitment appropriations notutilizedbefore
theendofthefinancialyearforwhichtheywere
enteredinthebudgetshallremainavailablefor
thefollowingfinancialyear.Attheendofthis
periodandbefore1February,theCommission
maysubmittotheCouncilandforwardtothe
EuropeanParliamentalistofappropriations the
extensionofwhichitisrequestingforthenext
financialyear.TheCouncil,actingbyaqualified
majorityandafterconsultingtheEuropeanParlia­
ment,shalldecidewhethertoextendtheseappro­
priationsforthatfinancialyear.3.Paymentappropriations shallrepresentthe
ceilingofexpenditurewhichmaybeauthorizedor
paidduringeachfinancialyearinordertocover
thecommitments enteredintoduringthecurrent
orprecedingfinancialyears.
4.Whenthebudgetisbeingdebated,the
followingmaybeenteredundercommitment
appropriations ;thehydrocarbons projects,the
three-yearplanofactiononscientificandtech­
nicalinformationanddocumentation ,theSocial
Fund,theGuidanceSectionoftheEuropeanAgri­
culturalGuidanceandGuaranteeFundandopera­
tionsforwhichafutureFinancialRegulationlays
downthattheyshouldbesoentered.
5.Thecommentsaccompanying thebudget
headingsallocatedforsuchprojectsshallinclude,
iftheconditionsgoverningtheexecutionofsuch
projectssopermit,anindicativetimetableoffore­
seeablecommitments andpaymentsfor
subsequentfinancialyears.'
Article4
Articles6(5),104and114(2)areherebyrepealed.
Theyshall,however,remaininforceduringtheimple­
mentationofthebudgetsuptoandincludingthe
financialyear1976.
Article5
ThisFinancialRegulationshallapplytothebudget
forthefinancialyear1977andtothedeliberationsof
theBudgetAuthorityinconnectionwiththese
budgets.
Article6
ThisFinancialRegulationshallenterintoforceonthe
dayfollowingitspublicationintheOfficialJournal
oftheEuropeanCommunities .
ThisFinancialRegulationshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicableinall
MemberStates.
DoneatLuxembourg ,21October1976.
FortheCouncil
ThePresident
L.J.BRINKHORST