1.5.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 120/9

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 883/2006 (2) lays down certain specific requirements and rules, inter alia, on the keeping of accounts and declarations of expenditure and revenue by the paying agencies, and the reimbursement of expenditure by the Commission under Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005.

(2)

Article 26(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 provides that the Commission is to make intermediate payments within 45 days of registering the declaration of expenditure for which the requirements laid down in paragraph 3 of that Article are complied with.

(3)

In accordance with Article 16(4) of Regulation (EC) No 883/2006, the Commission may interrupt the time limit for payment laid down in Article 26(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 for all or part of the amount for which payment is claimed until the submission of the declaration of expenditure for the following period, where the Commission has requested further information from the Member State relating in particular to disagreements, differences of interpretation or inconsistencies relating to a declaration of expenditure.

(4)

In order to ensure that Union funds are used in accordance with the applicable rules, Article 59(6) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (3) provides for the Commission to interrupt payment deadlines or suspend payments in accordance with the sector-specific rules.

(5)

According to Article 9(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005, the Commission is to check that management and control systems exist and function properly in the Member States and to reduce or suspend intermediate payments, in particular where those systems fail. In addition, according to Articles 27 and 27a of that Regulation, the Commission may reduce or suspend intermediate payments where a Member State fails to provide it with satisfactory additional information when requested.

(6)

In order to protect the Union‘檚 financial interests as regards the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, it is appropriate to extend the number of cases provided for in Article 16(4) of Regulation (EC) No 883/2006, in which the deadline for intermediary payments may be interrupted, in order to also cover situations where the information provided to the Commission suggests the presence of irregularities linked to a payment request or deficiencies in the functioning of the management and control system in a Member State.

(7)

Regulation (EC) No 883/2006 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(8)

The Committee on the Agricultural Funds has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman,