2003/846/EC: Commission Decision of 5 December 2003 conferring management of aid implementing agencies for pre-accession measures in agriculture and rural development in Romania in the pre-accession period

• Articles: 4

Article 1

The requirement of ex ante approval by the Commission of project selection and contracting for measures 3.1, 3.4 and 4.1 by Romania provided for in Article 12(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 is hereby waived.

Article 2

Management of the Sapard Programme is conferred on a provisional basis to:

1. The Sapard Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Waters and Environment of Romania, Negustori Street 1 B, Sector 2, Bucharest, for the implementation of measure 3.1 "Investment in agricultural holdings", measure 3.4 "Development and diversification of economic activities, multiple activities, alternative income" and measure 4.1 "Improving of vocational training" as defined in the programme for agriculture and rural development that was approved by Commission Decision C(2000) 3742 final on 12 December 2000, as last amended by the Commission decision adopted on 1 August 2003.

2. The National Fund within the Ministry of Public Finance, Apolodor Street 17, Sector 5, RO 70663 Bucharest, for the financial functions it is due to perform in the framework of the implementation of the Sapard programme for measures 3.1, 3.4 and 4.1 for Romania.

Article 3

Expenditure pursuant to this Decision shall be eligible for Community co-financing only if incurred by beneficiaries from the date of this Decision, or, if later, the date of the instrument making them a beneficiary for the project in question, except for feasibility and related studies, where this date shall be 12 December 2000, provided in all cases it has not been paid by the Sapard Agency prior to the date of this Decision.

Article 4

Without prejudice to any decisions granting aid under Sapard to individual beneficiaries, the rules for eligibility of expenditure proposed by Romania by letter No 1015 of 22 July 2003 and, registered in the Commission under No 19976, as modified by letter No 11012 of 22 September 2003 and registered in the Commission under No 26843, shall apply.

Done at Brussels, 5 December 2003.

For the Commission

Franz Fischler

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 68.

(2) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 696/2003 (OJ L 99, 17.4.2003, p. 24).

(3) C(2000) 3742 final.

(4) OJ L 206, 3.8.2002, p. 31.

(5) OJ L 253, 7.10.2000, p. 5. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 188/2003 (OJ L 27, 1.2.2003, p. 14).