WRITTEN QUESTION E-1132/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 April 2001)

Subject: Establishment of a new EAGGF paying agency in Greece

In adopting Law No 2892 of 9 March 2001 the Greek government has set up a new paying agency which will carry out payments for the EAGGFGuarantee section programmes contained in the agricultural development planning document, and specifically payments for compensation, early retirement, agro-environmental measures and reafforestation. The reason for the establishment of this new paying agency was that it constituted a Commission requirement for the payment of appropriations to those eligible.

Will the Commission say:

1. Even if the establishment of paying agencies is the responsibility of Member States, the Commission has declared itself in favour of the smallest possible number of such paying agencies. Has the Commission's policy changed and is it now recommending the establishment of separate paying agencies for measures funded by the agricultural development programme?

2. In which other EU countries have separate paying agencies been set up for these programmes?

3. Will the provisions of Regulation (EC) 1663/95(1) apply to this new paying agency set up by Greece? Will a coordinating body also have to be set up?

4. According to Article 15 of Law 2637/98, responsibility for the payment of compensation belongs to the paying agency controlling Community EAGGF spending, and its provisions have not been amended. Can two paying agencies exist side by side with the same statutory responsibilities?

(1) OJ L 158, 8.7.1995, p. 6.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 May 2001)

During an inspection visit on 25 September 2000 the Greek authorities informed the Commission that a new paying agency was to be set up shortly in Greece to take over from Gedidagep. The new paying agency would be responsible for all measures, both prior to and after 1 January 2001, that are financed by the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

The establishment of a new paying agency is the responsibility of the competent national authorities (Article 1(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1663/95 of 7 July 1995 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 regarding the procedure for the clearance of the accounts of the EAGGF Guarantee Section(1)).

The Commission has made a number of remarks and issued certain warnings that the current paying agency should bear in mind if it does not want to lose the Member State's accreditation.

The number of paying agencies per Member State is governed by Article 4(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the financing of the common agricultural policy(2).

Currently no separate paying agency has been set up for rural-development measures.

If a new paying agency were to be set up, it would have to apply all the conditions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1663/95, whatever the agricultural measure concerned.

Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 and Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1663/95 provide that there should be one coordinating body only per Member State and only where there is more than one paying agency.

The Commission points out that two paying agencies with the same statutory responsibilities cannot exist side by side. Any new paying agency can start operating only where the conditions laid down in particular in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1663/95 are met. For the time being, until 15 October 2001 the only accredited paying agency is Gedidagep.

(1) OJ L 158, 8.7.1995.

(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.