PERSONS FROM THE MEZZOGIORNO AS SOCIAL WORKERS OR ASSISTANTS TO BE RE-EMPLOYED IN THAT CAPACITY IN THE MEZZOGIORNO ITSELF OR IN AREAS WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF IMMIGRANT WORKERS FROM THE MEZZOGIORNO . THE COMMISSION FOUND THAT THAT REQUEST WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE OPERATION OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND , SUBJECT TO CHECKS BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT ' S EXECUTION ON ITS COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULES IN FORCE .
9 IT APPEARS FROM THE FILE THAT AFTER A CHECK WAS CARRIED OUT IN JUNE AND JULY 1974 BY OFFICIALS OF THE COMMISSION AND THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF LABOUR , THE COMMISSION TOOK THE VIEW THAT THE CRITERIA WHICH IT HAD LAID DOWN IN ITS DECISION WERE NOT SATISFIED BY THE BOARD ' S ACTIVITIES IN 1973 . THE COMMISSION ACCORDINGLY REFUSED THE ASSISTANCE WHICH HAD BEEN ALLOCATED BY THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND FOR 1973 .
10 BY DECISION DATED 30 DECEMBER 1974 , THE COMMISSION AGREED TO THE REQUEST OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC THAT SINCE THERE HAD BEEN DELAYS IN PUTTING THE PROGRAMME INTO EFFECT , THE APPORTIONMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE FOR THIS PROJECT , AMONG OTHERS , AS BETWEEN FINANCIAL YEARS , SHOULD BE MODIFIED , AND IT ALLOCATED THE ASSISTANCE TO BE GRANTED AS FOLLOWS : LIT 609 798 130 FOR 1974 AND LIT 841 687 652 FOR 1975 .
11 IT SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED THAT THAT DECISION DID NOT ALLOW FOR ANY ASSISTANCE FOR 1973 , AND THAT THE TOTAL ASSISTANCE APPROVED BY THAT DECISION WAS LESS THAN THAT PROVIDED FOR IN THE DECISION OF 27 DECEMBER 1973 BY LIT 274 721 810 . THE DIFFERENCE IS TO BE EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT THAT SUM WAS THE AMOUNT STATED BY THE APPLICANT AS ITS EXPENDITURE FOR 1973 . IT MAY BE OBSERVED IN THIS CONNECTION THAT IN ITS APPLICATION , THE BOARD ADMITS TO HAVING ACCEPTED THAT ONLY LIT 134 912 640 OUT OF A TOTAL OF LIT 274 721 810 WERE ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE FOR 1973 .
12 IN RESPONSE TO THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC ' S REQUEST FOR A MODIFICATION OF THE APPORTIONMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE AS BETWEEN FINANCIAL YEARS , THE COMMISSION BY DECISION OF 18 MAY 1976 AGAIN REALLOCATED THE ASSISTANCE AGREED SO AS TO PROVIDE LIT 385 875 145 FOR 1975 AND LIT 455 812 507 FOR 1976 .
13 FOR THE YEARS 1974 , 1975 AND 1976 , A SUM AMOUNTING TO LIT 345 763 716 WAS REFUSED ON THE GROUND THAT THE ACTIVITIES PERFORMED DID NOT COMPLY WITH COMMUNITY RULES AND IN PARTICULAR WITH THE TERMS OF THE COMMISSION ' S DECISION . IN ADDITION A SUM OF LIT 65 149 763 WAS NOT CLAIMED . THE FINAL BALANCE THEREFORE REPRESENTS A TOTAL SUM OF LIT 1 040 572 303 .
14 IT SHOULD BE RECALLED THAT THE FINANCING PROCEDURE OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND IS AS FOLLOWS . REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE ARE SUBMITTED BY MEMBER STATES