97/699/EC: Commission Decision of 7 May 1997 on the approval of the single programming document for Community structural assistance in the Land Rheinland- Pfalz concerned by Objective 2 in the Federal Republic of Germany (Only the German text is authentic)

COMMISSION DECISION of 7 May 1997 on the approval of the single programming document for Community structural assistance in the Land Rheinland-Pfalz concerned by Objective 2 in the Federal Republic of Germany (Only the German text is authentic) (97/699/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 of 19 December 1988 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards coordination of activities of the different Structural Funds between themselves and with the operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 3193/94 (2), and in particular Article 10 (1) last subparagraph thereof,
After consultation of the Advisory Committee on the Development and Conversion of Regions and the Committee pursuant to Article 124 of the Treaty,
Whereas the programming procedure for structural assistance under Objective 2 is defined in Article 9 (6) to 9 (10) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 of 24 June 1988 on the tasks of the Structural Funds and their effectiveness and on coordination of their activities between themselves and with the operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 3193/94; whereas however the last subparagraph of Article 5 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 foresees that in order to simplify and to speed up programming procedures, Member States may submit in a single programming document the information required for the regional and social conversion plan referred to in Article 9 (8) of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 and the information required at Article 14 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88; whereas Article 10 (1) last subparagraph of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 foresees that in that case the Commission adopt a single decision in a single document covering the points referred to in Article 8 (3) and the assistance from the Funds referred to in the last subparagraph of Article 14 (3);
Whereas the Commission has established, by Decision 96/472/EC (4), the list of declining industrial areas concerned by Objective 2 for the programming period from 1997 to 1999;
Whereas the German Government has submitted to the Commission on 12 August 1996 the single programming document as referred to in Article 5 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 for the Land Rheinland-Pfalz; whereas this document contains the elements referred to in Article 9 (8) of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 and in Article 14 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88; whereas expenditure under this single programming document is eligible as from that date;
Whereas the single programming document submitted by this Member State includes a description of the conversion priorities selected and the applications for assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) as well as an indication of the planned use of the assistance available from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the other financial instruments in implementing the single programming document;
Whereas, in accordance with Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88, the Commission is charged with ensuring, within the framework of the partnership, coordination and consistency between assistance from the Funds and assistance provided by the EIB and the other financial instruments;
Whereas the EIB has been involved in the drawing up of the single programming document in accordance with the provisions of Article 8 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88, applicable by analogy in the establishment of the single programming document; whereas it has declared itself prepared to contribute to the implementation of this document in conformity with its statutory provisions; whereas, however, it has not yet been possible to evaluate precisely the amounts of Community loans corresponding to the financial needs;
Whereas Article 2 second subparagraph of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1866/90 of 2 July 1990 on arrangements for using the ecu for the purpose of the budgetary management of the Structural Funds (5), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2745/94 (6), stipulates that in the Commission decisions approving a single programming document, the Community assistance available for the entire period and the annual breakdown thereof shall be set out in ecus at prices for the year in which each decision is taken and shall be subject to indexation; whereas this annual breakdown must be compatible with the progressive increase in the commitment appropriations shown in Annex II to Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88; whereas indexation is based on a single rate per year, corresponding to the rates applied annually to budget appropriations on the basis of the mechanism for the technical adjustment of the financial perspectives;
Whereas Article 1 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4254/88 of 19 December 1988 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards the European Regional Development Fund (7), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2083/93 (8), defines the measures for which the ERDF may provide financial support;
Whereas Article 1 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4255/88 of 19 December 1988 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards the European Social Fund (9), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2084/93 (10), defines the measures for which the ESF may provide financial support;
Whereas the single programming document has been established in agreement with the Member State concerned through the partnership defined in Article 4 of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88;
Whereas the single programming document satisfies the conditions and includes the information required by Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88;
Whereas the present assistance satisfies the conditions laid down in Article 13 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88, and so should be implemented by means of an integrated approach involving finance from more than one Fund;
Whereas Article 1 of the Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (11), as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom, ECSC) No 2335/95 (12), states that the legal commitments entered into for measures extending over more than one financial year must contain a time limit for implementation which must be specified to the recipient in due form when the aid is granted;
Whereas Article 20 (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 provides, subject to available funding, for a single commitment where the Community assistance granted is less than ECU 40 million for the whole programming period;
Whereas it is appropriate to mention that this Decision is ruled by the provisions on the eligibility of expenditure laid down in the Annex to Commission Decision C(97) 1035/5 of 23 April 1997 modifying the decisions approving the Community support frameworks, the single programming documents and the Community initiative programmes in respect of the Federal Republic of Germany;
Whereas all the other conditions laid down for the grant of aid from the ERDF and the ESF have been complied with,