Commission Decision

of 29 April 2009

on the clearance of the accounts of the paying agencies of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia concerning expenditure in the field of rural development measures financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) for the 2008 financial year

(notified under document number C(2009) 3199)

(Only the Czech, Estonian, Greek, English, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovenian texts are authentic)

(2009/366/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy [1], and in particular Articles 30 and 39 thereof,

After consulting the Committee on the Agricultural Funds,

Whereas:

(1) On the basis of the annual accounts submitted by the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia concerning expenditure in the field of rural development measures, accompanied by the information required, the accounts of the paying agencies referred to in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 are to be cleared. The clearance covers the completeness, accuracy and veracity of the accounts transmitted in the light of the reports established by the certification bodies.

(2) The time limits granted to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia referred to in Article 7(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 885/2006 of 21 June 2006 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 as regards the accreditation of paying agencies and other bodies and the clearance of the accounts of the EAGF and of the EAFRD [2] for the submission to the Commission of the documents referred to in Article 8(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 and in Article 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 885/2006, have expired.

(3) The Commission has checked the information submitted and communicated to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia before 31 March 2009 the results of its verifications, along with the necessary amendments.

(4) For the rural development expenditure covered by Article 7(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 27/2004 of 5 January 2004 laying down transitional detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 as regards the financing by the EAGF of rural development measures in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia [3] the outcome of the clearance decision is to be deducted from or added to subsequent payments made by the Commission.

(5) In the light of the verifications made, the annual accounts and the accompanying documents permit the Commission to take, for certain paying agencies, a decision on the completeness, accuracy and veracity of the accounts submitted. The details of these amounts were described in the Summary Report that was presented to the Fund Committee at the same time as this Decision.

(6) In the light of the verifications made, the information submitted by certain paying agencies requires additional inquiries and their accounts cannot be therefore cleared in this Decision.

(7) For the rural development expenditure covered by Regulation (EC) No 27/2004, the amounts recoverable or payable under the clearance of accounts decision are to be deducted from or added to subsequent payments.

(8) In accordance with Article 30(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005, this Decision does not prejudice decisions taken subsequently by the Commission excluding from Community financing expenditure not effected in accordance with Community rules,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Without prejudice to Article 2, the accounts of the paying agencies of the Member States concerning expenditure in the field of rural development financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) in respect of the 2008 financial year, are hereby cleared.

The amounts which are recoverable from, or payable to, each Member State pursuant to this Decision in the field of rural development measures applicable in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia are set out in Annex I and Annex II.

Article 2

For the 2008 financial year, the accounts of the Member States' paying agencies in the field of rural development measures applicable in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, set out in Annex III, are disjoined from this Decision and shall be the subject of a future clearance Decision.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic.

Done at Brussels, 29 April 2009.

For the Commission

Mariann Fischer Boel

Member of the Commission

[1] OJ L 209, 11.8.2005, p. 1.

[2] OJ L 171, 23.6.2006, p. 90.

[3] OJ L 5, 9.1.2004, p. 36.

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ANNEX I

CLEARANCE OF THE PAYING AGENCIES' ACCOUNTS

FINANCIAL YEAR 2008 — EAGF RURAL DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE IN NEW MEMBER STATES

Amount to be recovered from or paid to the Member State

[*]

Note: In respect of the Czech Republic, the amount cleared for financial year 2008 added to the amounts cleared in previous years; exceeds the maximum EAGGF contribution set out in the the Commission Decision approving the programme. The final EAGGF balance to be paid for the programme will be calculated in compliance with the total EAGGF contribution.

MS | | 2008 — Expenditure for the paying agencies for which the accounts are | Total a + b | Reductions | Total | Interim payments reimbursed to the Member State for the financial year | Amount to be recovered from (-) or paid to (+) the Member State [1] |

cleared | disjoined |

= expenditure declared in the annual declaration | = total of interim payments reimbursed to the Member State for the financial year |

| | a | b | c = a + b | d | e = c + d | f | g = e - f |

CZ | EUR | 32399539,50 | | 32399539,50 | 0,00 | 32399539,50 | 0,00 | 32399539,50 |

EE | EUR | 24148768,74 | | 24148768,74 | 0,00 | 24148768,74 | 0,00 | 24148768,74 |

CY | EUR | 17570826,20 | | 17570826,20 | 0,00 | 17570826,20 | 11388159,00 | 6182667,20 |

LV | EUR | 46986857,87 | | 46986857,87 | 0,00 | 46986857,87 | 0,00 | 46986857,87 |

LT | EUR | 79148259,37 | | 79148259,37 | 0,00 | 79148259,37 | 0,00 | 79148259,37 |

HU | EUR | 90290537,46 | | 90290537,46 | 0,00 | 90290537,46 | 0,00 | 90290537,46 |

MT | EUR | 0,00 | 2699140,00 | 2699140,00 | 0,00 | 2699140,00 | 2699140,00 | 0,00 |

PL | EUR | 121595191,28 | | 121595191,28 | 0,00 | 121595191,28 | 0,00 | 121595191,28 |

SI | EUR | 607424,53 | | 607424,53 | 0,00 | 607424,53 | 0,00 | 607424,53 |

SK | EUR | 39259760,34 | | 39259760,34 | 0,00 | 39259760,34 | 0,00 | 39259760,34 |

MS | Advances paid but still to be cleared for the programme implementation (Article 32 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999) |

CZ | EUR | 86848000,00 |

EE | EUR | 24080000,00 |

CY | EUR | 11968000,00 |

LV | EUR | 52496000,00 |

LT | EUR | 78320000,00 |

HU | EUR | 96368000,00 |

MT | EUR | 4304000,00 |

PL | EUR | 458624000,00 |

SI | EUR | 45056000,00 |

SK | EUR | 63536000,00 |

[*] As payments have reached 95 % of the financial plan for all Member States, the balances will be settled during the closure of the programme.

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ANNEX II

CLEARED EXPENDITURE BY EAGF RURAL DEVELOPMENT MEASURE FOR EXERCISE 2008 IN NEW MEMBER STATES

Differences between annual accounts and declarations of expenditure

CZECH REPUBLIC

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Early retirement | 486177,10 | | 486177,10 |

2 | Less-favoured areas | –62324,19 | | –62324,19 |

3 | Agri-environment | 24415487,28 | | 24415487,28 |

4 | Forestry | 768151,81 | | 768151,81 |

5 | Producer groups | 6792047,50 | | 6792047,50 |

6 | Technical assistance | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

7 | Sapard | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

700 | Investments in agricultural holdings, Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

701 | Processing and marketing, Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

702 | Flood damage 1 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

703 | Improving structures for quality | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

704 | Land improvement and reparcelling | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

705 | Renovation and development of villages | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

706 | Flood damage 2 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

707 | Development of rural infrastructure | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

708 | Development and diversification of activities | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

709 | Agricultural production methods to protect | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

710 | Improvement of vocational training | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

711 | Technical assistance Sapard | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

| Total | 32399539,50 | 0,00 | 32399539,50 |

ESTONIA

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Less-favoured areas | –85013,95 | | –85013,95 |

2 | Agri-environment | 20416942,68 | | 20416942,68 |

3 | Afforestation of agricultural land | 125877,94 | | 125877,94 |

4 | Support for semi-substance farms | 2154035,51 | | 2154035,51 |

5 | Meeting standards | 1373830,87 | | 1373830,87 |

6 | Complements in direct payments | 4570,72 | | 4570,72 |

7 | Technical assistance | 155007,67 | | 155007,67 |

8 | Sapard | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

9 | Support to areas with environmental restrictions | 3517,30 | | 3517,30 |

| Total | 24148768,74 | 0,00 | 24148768,74 |

CYPRUS

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Support of investments for management of animal waste | 2160970,53 | | 2160970,53 |

2 | Encouragement of the improvement and the development | 3845690,82 | | 3845690,82 |

3 | Encouragement of the set up of producer groups | 391894,08 | | 391894,08 |

4 | Promotion of vocational training of farmers | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

5 | Technical and advisory service to the farmers | 58475,17 | | 58475,17 |

6 | Early retirement | 500463,80 | | 500463,80 |

7 | Support for setting up of young farmers | 710000,00 | | 710000,00 |

8 | Meeting EU standards | 1890818,08 | | 1890818,08 |

9 | Adoption of agri-environmental measures | 2724287,26 | | 2724287,26 |

10 | Agri-environmental actions for the protection of natural value | 2608009,46 | | 2608009,46 |

11 | Afforestation | 40915,05 | | 40915,05 |

12 | Improving of infrastructure for livestock development | 490532,61 | | 490532,61 |

13 | Less-favoured areas | –13576,13 | | –13576,13 |

14 | Support for quality schemes | 673718,97 | | 673718,97 |

15 | Support of small scale, traditional processing | 584241,84 | | 584241,84 |

16 | Protection of agricultural and traditional landscapes | 282638,86 | | 282638,86 |

17 | Protection of forest fires and other natural disasters | 123163,39 | | 123163,39 |

18 | Afforestation of non agricultural land | 396079,52 | | 396079,52 |

19 | Improvement of harvesting process | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

20 | Technical support of the implementation, monitoring | 70039,46 | | 70039,46 |

21 | Technical support of collective initiatives at local level | 32463,43 | | 32463,43 |

| Total | 17570826,20 | 0,00 | 17570826,20 |

LATVIA

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Early retirement | 3250393,40 | | 3250393,40 |

2 | Producer groups | 1589329,59 | | 1589329,59 |

3 | Support for semi-substance farms | 10953829,98 | | 10953829,98 |

4 | Meeting standards | 7050638,64 | | 7050638,64 |

5 | Agri-environment | 23854472,13 | | 23854472,13 |

6 | Less-favoured areas | 34948,53 | | 34948,53 |

7 | Technical assistance | 258913,87 | | 258913,87 |

8 | Obligations transferred from previous programming period | –5668,27 | | –5668,27 |

9 | Allocations of resources for single area payments | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

| Total | 46986857,87 | 0,00 | 46986857,87 |

LITHUANIA

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Agri-environment | 27947981,79 | | 27947981,79 |

2 | Less-favoured areas and areas with environmental restrictions | 48234,08 | | 48234,08 |

3 | Meeting standards | 26055356,07 | | 26055356,07 |

4 | Afforestation of agricultural land | 1734572,99 | | 1734572,99 |

5 | Early retirement | 19490903,99 | | 19490903,99 |

6 | Support for semi-subsistence farms undergoing restructuring | 2081962,83 | | 2081962,83 |

7 | Other measures | 447848,76 | | 447848,76 |

8 | Technical assistance | 1330659,16 | | 1330659,16 |

9 | Complementary national direct payments | 10739,70 | | 10739,70 |

| Total | 79148259,37 | 0,00 | 79148259,37 |

HUNGARY

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Agri-environment | 59606523,82 | | 59606523,82 |

2 | Meeting standards | 13784071,07 | | 13784071,07 |

3 | Afforestation | 15357233,59 | | 15357233,59 |

4 | Support for semi-substance farms | 322737,06 | | 322737,06 |

5 | Producer groups | –233,15 | | –233,15 |

6 | Early retirement | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

7 | Less-favoured areas | –25011,06 | | –25011,06 |

8 | Technical assistance | 1245216,13 | | 1245216,13 |

9 | Projects approved under Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

10 | Complementary national direct payments | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

| Total | 90290537,46 | 0,00 | 90290537,46 |

POLAND

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Early retirement | 25431473,58 | | 25431473,58 |

2 | Support for semi-substance farms | 12965617,28 | | 12965617,28 |

3 | Less-favoured areas | –1487716,01 | | –1487716,01 |

4 | Agri-environment undertakings and animal welfare | 5663544,07 | | 5663544,07 |

5 | Afforestation | 11625652,61 | | 11625652,61 |

6 | Meeting EU standards | 62703110,98 | | 62703110,98 |

7 | Producer Groups | 1799132,10 | | 1799132,10 |

8 | Technical assistance | 2763199,78 | | 2763199,78 |

9 | Complements to direct payments | 140155,01 | | 140155,01 |

10 | Projects approved under Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 | –8978,12 | | –8978,12 |

| Total | 121595191,28 | 0,00 | 121595191,28 |

SLOVENIA

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Less-favoured areas | 78615,04 | | 78615,04 |

2 | Agri-environment | –1190735,17 | | –1190735,17 |

3 | Early retirement | 1386969,91 | | 1386969,91 |

4 | Meeting standards | 199761,17 | | 199761,17 |

5 | Technical assistance | 101777,75 | | 101777,75 |

6 | Sapard programme | 34856,75 | | 34856,75 |

7 | Complements to direct payments | –3820,92 | | –3820,92 |

| Total | 607424,53 | 0,00 | 607424,53 |

SLOVAKIA

No | Measures | Expenditure 2008 Annex I column "a" | Reductions Annex I column "d" | Amount cleared for 2008 Annex I column "e" |

| | i | ii | iii = i + ii |

1 | Investments in agricultural holdings | 1650413,98 | | 1650413,98 |

2 | Training | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

3 | Less-favoured areas and areas with environmental restrictions | 317367,06 | | 317367,06 |

4 | Meeting standards | 3982447,52 | | 3982447,52 |

5 | Agri-environmental support | 25815864,82 | | 25815864,82 |

6 | Improving processing and marketing of agricultural products | 942660,39 | | 942660,39 |

7 | Forest management | 4564,40 | | 4564,40 |

8 | Afforestation of agricultural land | 106689,23 | | 106689,23 |

9 | Land consolidation | 465593,60 | | 465593,60 |

10 | Diversification of agricultural activities | 34451,27 | | 34451,27 |

11 | Support for semi-subsistence farms | 414691,29 | | 414691,29 |

12 | Producer groups | 2387788,82 | | 2387788,82 |

13 | Technical assistance including evaluation | 3137462,36 | | 3137462,36 |

14 | Complements to direct payments | –234,40 | | –234,40 |

901 | Investments in agricultural holdings, Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

905 | Agri-environmental support — projects approved under Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

907 | Forest management — projects approved under Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

912 | Producer groups — project approved under Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 | 0,00 | | 0,00 |

| Total | 39259760,34 | 0,00 | 39259760,34 |

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ANNEX III

CLEARANCE OF THE PAYING AGENCIES' ACCOUNTS

FINANCIAL YEAR 2008 — EAGF RURAL DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE IN NEW MEMBER STATES

List of the paying agencies for which the accounts are disjoined and are subject of a later clearance decision

Member State | Paying agency |

Malta | MRRA |

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