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COMMISSION DECISION
of 27 July 1988
on applications for reimbursement and advance payments in respect of the encouragement of agriculture in less-favoured areas of northern Italy under Regulation (EEC) No 1401/86
(Only the Italian text is authentic)
(88/489/EEC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1401/86 of 6 May 1986 introducing a common action for the encouragement of agriculture in certain less-favoured areas of northern Italy (1), and in particular Article 9 (4) thereof,
Whereas applications for reimbursement and applications for the payment of advances to be submitted by Italy to the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Guidance Section, must include certain data in order to enable the compliance of expenditure with the provisions of Regulation (EEC) No 1401/86 and of the programmes submitted by Italy, as approved by the Commission in accordance with Article 4 (2) of the said Regulation to be examined;
Whereas, to enable effective controls to be carried out, Italy must keep supporting documents available to the Commission for a period of three years after the payment of the last reimbursement;
Whereas, to enable the advance payments to be made as provided for in Article 9 (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 1401/86, detailed rules and procedures must be laid down with regard thereto;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF),
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
1. Applications for reimbursement as provided for in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 1401/86 must be made in accordance with the tables in Annex I.
2. Italy shall forward to the Commission, with the first application for reimbursement, the national provisions on applications and controls, and the administrative instructions, together with the forms and any other documents relating to the administrative implementation of the measures.
Article 2
Italy shall keep available to the Commission, for a period of three years after the payment of the last reimbursement all supporting documents or certified copies thereof which it has in its possession, on the basis of which it was decided to grant the aids provided for in Regulation (EEC) No 1401/86, and the applications for reimbursement and advance payments were compiled.
Article 3
The advance payment as provided for in Article 9 (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 1401/86 must be made in accordance with the tables in Annex III.
Article 4
1. Advance payments from the Guidance Section of the EAGGF may be equivalent to a maximum of 80 % of the amount of the Community contribution towards the financing of the expenditure planned for the reference year.
2. Advance payments which are not expended during the year in respect of which they were made shall be decuted from the advance payment to be made in respect of the following year.
3. Advance payments in respect of the following year may not be paid before the documents referred to above have been forwarded to the Commission in the form of:
- either a report drawn up in accordance with the table set out in Annex IV, on operations during the previous year in respect of which advance payments were made,
- or the final application for reimbursement compiled in accordance with Article 1 (1).
Article 5
This Decision is addressed to the Italian Republic.
Done at Brussels, 27 July 1988.