2002/508/EC: Commission Decision of 22 March 2001 approving the Single Programming Document for Community structural assistance under Objective 2 in the region of Limousin in France (notified under document number C(2001) 630)

Commission Decision
of 22 March 2001
approving the Single Programming Document for Community structural assistance under Objective 2 in the region of Limousin in France
(notified under document number C(2001) 630)
(Only the French text is authentic)
(2002/508/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds(1), and in particular Article 15(5) thereof,
After consulting the Committee on the Development and Conversion of Regions, the Committee pursuant to Article 147 of the Treaty and the Committee on Agricultural Structures and Rural Development,
Whereas:
(1) Articles 13 et seq. of Title II of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 lay down the procedure for preparing and implementing Single Programming Documents.
(2) Article 15(1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 provides that, after consultation with the partners referred to in Article 8 of the Regulation, the Member State may submit to the Commission a development plan which is treated as a draft Single Programming Document, and which contains the information referred to in Article 16 of the Regulation.
(3) Under Article 15(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, on the basis of the regional development plan submitted by the Member State and within the partnership established in accordance with Article 8 of that Regulation, the Commission is to take a decision on the Single Programming Document, in agreement with the Member State concerned and in accordance with the procedures laid down in Articles 48 to 51.
(4) The French Government submitted to the Commission on 17 April 2000 an acceptable draft Single Programming Document for the region of Limousin fulfilling the conditions for Objective 2 pursuant to Article 4(1) and qualifying for transitional support under Objective 5(b) pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999. As permitted by Article 40(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)(2), the draft includes rural development measures other than those referred to in Article 35(1) of the Regulation. It also includes the information listed in Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, in particular a description of the priorities selected and an indication of the financial contribution from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Guarantee Section.
(5) The date of submission of the draft which was considered acceptable by the Commission constitutes the date from which expenditure under the plan is eligible. Under Article 52(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, as an acceptable plan was submitted between 1 January and 30 April 2000 the date from which expenditure under the plan is eligible is 1 January 2000 in the case of the Structural Funds. In the case of the EAGGF Guarantee Section, Article 6 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2603/1999(3) provides that the expenditure is eligible only if it has actually been paid to the beneficiary after the date of submission of the programme. Under Article 30 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, it is necessary to lay down the final date for the eligibility of expenditure.
(6) The rural development measures to be financed by the EAGGF Guarantee Section are governed, in particular as regards their compatibility and consistency with common agricultural policy measures, by Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999.
(7) The Single Programming Document has been drawn up in agreement with the Member State concerned and within the partnership.
(8) The Commission has satisfied itself that the Single Programming Document is in accordance with the principle of additionality.
(9) Under Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, the Commission and the Member State are required to ensure, in a manner consistent with the principle of partnership, coordination between assistance from the Funds and from the EIB and other existing financial instruments.
(10) The EIB has been involved in drawing up the Single Programming Document in accordance with the provisions of Article 15(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 and has declared itself prepared to contribute to its implementation in conformity with its statutory provisions.
(11) The financial contribution from the Community available over the entire period and its year-by-year breakdown are expressed in euro. The annual breakdown should be consistent with the relevant financial perspective. Under Article 7(7) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, the Community contribution has already been indexed at a rate of 2 % per year. Under Article 7(7) and Article 44(2) of the Regulation, the Community contribution may be reviewed at mid-term, and not later than 31 March 2004, to take account of the effective level of inflation and the allocation of the performance reserve.
(12) Provision should be made for adapting the financial allocations of the priorities of this Single Programming Document within certain limits to actual requirements reflected by the pattern of implementation on the ground, in agreement with the Member State concerned,