2001/885/EC: Commission Decision of 6 December 2001 conferring management of aid on implementing agencies for pre-accession measures in agriculture and rural development in the Republic of Latvia in the pre-accession period
Date: 2001-12-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, Latvia, accession to the European Union, aid to agriculture, rural development, use of aid

12.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 327/45

COMMISSION DECISION

of 6 December 2001

conferring management of aid on implementing agencies for pre-accession measures in agriculture
and rural development in the Republic of Latvia in the pre-accession period

(2001/885/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 of 21
June 1999 on co-ordinating aid to the applicant countries in
the framework of the pre-accession strategy and amending
Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 (1), and in particular Article
12(2) thereof,

Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2222/
2000 (2) of 7 June 2000 laying down financial rules for the
application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 (3) on
Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture
and rural development in the applicant countries of central and
eastern Europe in the pre-accession period, and in particular
Article 3(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

In accordance with Article 4(5) of Regulation (EC) No
1268/1999 of 21 June 1999 on Community support for
pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural devel-
opment
in the Applicant Countries of central and
eastern Europe in the pre-accession period, a Programme
for Agriculture and Rural Development was approved by
Commission Decision C(2000) 3097-final on 25
October 2000 for the Republic of Latvia.

the Republic of Latvia and the
The government of
Commission,
the European
acting on behalf of
Community, have signed on 25 January 2001 the Multi-
annual Financing Agreement laying down the technical,
legal and administrative framework for the execution of
the Sapard Programme.

Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 provides that the ex ante
approval requirement referred to in Article 12(1) of
Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 may be waived on the
basis of a case-by-case analysis of national and sectorial
programme/project management
financial
regarding public
control procedures and structures
finance; Regulation (EC) No 2222/2000 provides for
detailed rules for the carrying out of said analysis.

capacity,

(4)

The Competent authority of the Republic of Latvia has
appointed on the one hand, the Rural Support Service
for the implementation of measures ‘Modernisation of

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 68.
(2) OJ L 253, 7.10.2000, p. 5.
(3) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87.

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

agriculture machinery, equipment and construction of
buildings’; ‘Afforestation of agricultural lands’; ‘ Improve-
ment of agricultural and fisheries product processing
and marketing’;
‘Development and diversification of
economic activities providing for alternative income’,
‘Improvement of general rural infrastructure’ and ‘Trai-
ning’ as defined in the Programme for Agriculture and
Rural Development that was approved by Commission
Decision C(2000) 3097-final on 25 October 2000 for
the Republic of Latvia and, on the other, the Ministry of
Finance, National Fund, for the financial functions it is
due to perform in the framework of the implementation
of the Sapard programme.

Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 and Regula-
tion (EC) No 2222/2000, the Commission has analysed
the national and sectorial programme/project manage-
ment capacity, financial control procedures and struc-
tures regarding public finance and has established that,
for the implementation of the aforementioned measures,
the Republic of Latvia complies with the provisions of
Articles 4 to 6 and of the Annex to the Regulation (EC)
No 2222/2000 of 7 June 2000, with the minimum
conditions set out in the Annex to the Regulation (EC)
No 1266/1999.

In particular, the Rural Support Service has implemented
the following key accreditation criteria satisfactorily:
written procedures, segregation of duties, pre-project
approval and pre-payment checks, payment procedures,
accounting procedures, computer security, internal audit,
and, where appropriate, public procurement provisions.

On 16 of November 2001 the Latvian authorities
provided a list of eligible expenditure in conformity with
Article 4(1), section B of the Multi Annual Financial
Agreement and the Commission did not raise objections
to this list.

The Ministry of Finance, National Fund has implemented
the following criteria satisfactorily for the financial func-
tions it is due to perform in the framework of the
implementation of
the
Republic of Latvia: audit
treasury management,
receipt of funds, disbursement to beneficiaries, computer
security and internal audit.

the Sapard programme for

trail,

L 327/46

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.12.2001

(9)

It is therefore appropriate to waive the ex ante approval
requirement referred to in Article 12(1) of Regulation
(EC) No 1266/1999 and to confer on the Rural Support
Service and on the Ministry of Finance, National Fund in
the Republic of Latvia the management of aid on a
decentralised basis.

(10) However, since the verifications carried out by the
Commission are based on an operational but not oper-
ating system, it is at this stage appropriate to confer the
management of the Sapard Programme on the Rural
Support Service and on the Ministry of Finance, National
Fund on a provisional basis.

(11)

The full conferral of management of
the Sapard
Programme is only envisaged after further verifications
in order to ensure that the system operates satisfactorily
have been carried out and after any recommendations
the Commission may issue, with regard to the conferral
of management of aid on the Rural Support Service and
on the Ministry of Finance, National Fund, have been
implemented,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The requirement of ex ante approval by the Commission of
project selection and contracting by the Republic of Latvia is
hereby waived.

Article 2

Management of the Sapard Programme is conferred on a provi-
sional basis to:

lands’;

1. the Rural Support Service of the Republic of Latvia, Repub-
likas laukums 2, Riga LV 1981 for the implementation of
the measures:
‘Modernisation of agriculture machinery,
equipment and construction of buildings’; ‘Afforestation of
agricultural
‘Improvement of agricultural and fish-
eries product processing and marketing’; ‘Development and
diversification of economic activities providing for altern-
ative income’; ‘Improvement of general rural infrastructure’
and ‘Training’ as defined in the Programme for Agricultural
and Rural Development that was approved by Commission
Decision C(2000) 3097-final on 25 October 2000; and

2. the Ministry of Finance, National Fund, located at Smilšu
iela 1, Riga LV1919, Republic of Latvia, for the financial
functions it is due to perform in the framework of the
implementation of the Sapard programme for the Republic
of Latvia.

Done at Brussels, 6 December 2001.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission