11.9.  80 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 233/7 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  instituting  supplementary  measures  in 
favour  of the United  Kingdom 
THE  COURT  OF AUDITORS  OF THE 
EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES, 
Having  regard  to the proposal  for a Council  Regu-
lation  instituting  supplementary  Community  measures 
to contribute  to the  solution  of the  principal 
structural  problems  affecting  the  United  Kingdom 
and hence  to the convergence  of the economies  of the 
Member  States  of the Community, 
Having  regard  to the  request  of the  Council  of 
18 June  1980  for an opinion  of the Court, 
Noting  that  it is not intended  to make  the payment  of 
90 % of the amount  of the Community's  participation 
under  Article  6 (4) of the  proposed  Regulation  in 
instalments  in tandem  with  the instalments  of annual 
expenditure  provided  for each  special  programme, 
Whereas  the  transfer  of  the  balance  of  the 
Community's  participation  provided  for  under  the 
aforementioned  Article  6 (4) should  be effected  at the 
request  of the  Member  State  concerned  after  the 
latter  has  certified  completion  of  the  special 
programme  and  the cost  of the work; 
Whereas  Article  7(1)  should  accord  the Commission 
the right  of access  to documents  in support  of the 
expenditure  of the  programmes  and  should  specify 
the period  for which  these  documents  are to be made 
available  to the Commission; 
Whereas  under  the terms  of Article  7 (4),  if a special 
programme  is not  implemented  in conformity  with 
the provisions  of the  decision  of the  Commission 
approving  it, the  Commission  may  suspend  any 
payments  still  to be made  and  may  also  require  that 
sums  which  have  been,  or are  still  to be paid,  be 
allocated  to other  parts  of the same  programme  or to 
other  special  programmes  approved  by it; whereas, 
however,  no provision  has  been  made  for corrective 
measures  where  neither  another  part  of the  same 
programme  nor  another  special  programme  are 
available; 
Whereas  the  description  of the  investments  for  the 
special  infrastructure  programmes  in paragraph  4 of 
the Annex  to the proposed  Regulation  is too brief  and 
whereas  in particular  there  is no justification  for 
limiting  the requirement  of information  on the main 
physical  characteristics  and  location  to investments 
greater  than  10 million  EUA; Whereas  the information  required  by paragraph  6 of 
the Annex,  with  regard  to the  financing  of the 
programme,  should  specify  the instalments  of annual 
expenditure  and  also  include  the sources  of finance  of 
the programme; 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION: 
1. The  second  sentence  of Article  6 (4)  of the 
proposed  Regulation  should  be replaced  by the 
following: 
'The  transfer  of the balance  will  be effected,  at the 
request  of the United  Kingdom,  after  the latter  has 
certified  completion  of the special  programme  and 
the cost  of the work.' 
2. The  following  subparagraph  should  be added  to 
Article  7 (1): 
'The  United  Kingdom  shall  make  available  to the 
Commission,  for a period  of three  years  after  the 
transfer  of the balance,  all documents  in support  of 
the expenditure  of the  special  programme  or 
certified  copies  thereof.' 
3. Article  7 (4) should  also  indicate  the  corrective 
measures  to be followed  where  neither  another 
part of the  same  programme  nor  another  special 
programme  are available. 
4. Paragraph  4 of the Annex  to the proposed  Regu-
lation  should  be replaced  by the following:  , 
'4. Description  of the investments 
An infrastructure  programme  will  contain  this 
information: 
(a) a general  description  of the  programme, 
specifying  in particular  the  main  physical 
characteristics  and location  of the investments; 
(b) the  local  authorities  undertaking  the work  and 
the bodies  responsible  for  the  actual  per-
formance  of the work; 
(c) a construction  time-table,  specifying  the 
amount  of the annual  instalments  provided  for 
implementation  of the work.' 
No C 233/8 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 11. 9. 80 
5. Paragraph  6 (c) of the Annex  should  be replaced 
by the following: 
'(c) a time-table  giving  details  of the  annual 
instalments  of expenditure;' 
and the  following  subparagraph  (d)  should  be 
added: 
'(d) the  sources  of finance  of the programme.' This  opinion  was  adopted  by the Court  of Auditors  at 
its meeting  of 3 July  1980. 
for The  Court  of Auditors 
The President 
Michael  N. MURPHY