Tasks of the Responsible Authority
Article 4
The Responsible Authority shall manage and implement the national programme in accordance with the principles of sound financial management. It shall: (a) consult partners in accordance with Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014; (b) ensure the proper functioning of the monitoring committee referred to in Article 12(4) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014; (c) submit a proposal to the Commission for the national programme referred to in Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and any subsequent revisions using SFC2014; (d) define and establish the eligibility rules for projects and project costs for all activities, ensuring equality of treatment and avoiding any conflicts of interest, in accordance with the principles of sound financial management; (e) organise and advertise calls for tenders and proposals, and organise and advertise the subsequent selection and award of projects for financing under the national programme, in accordance with the scope and objectives of the Specific Regulations referred to in Article 2(a) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and with the criteria set out in Article 9 of this Regulation; (f) ensure that there are systems in place to collect the data required to report the common and programme-specific indicators to the Commission, together with other data on the implementation of the programme and projects; (g) receive payments from the Commission, and make payments to the beneficiaries; (h) ensure consistency and complementarity between co-financing under the Specific Regulations and other relevant national and Union instruments; (i) monitor the projects and check that the expenditure declared for projects has actually been incurred and complies with Union and national rules; (j) ensure that there is a system for recording and storing in computerised form accounting records for each project under the national programme and that the data on implementation necessary for financial management, monitoring, control and evaluation are collected; (k) without prejudice to national accounting rules, ensure that beneficiaries and other bodies involved in implementing projects financed under the national programme maintain either a separate accounting system or an adequate accounting code for all transactions relating to the project; (l) ensure that the evaluations of the national programme referred to in Article 56 and Article 57(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 are carried out within the relevant time limits; (m) ensure that the independent evaluators receive, for the purposes of carrying out the evaluation referred to in Article 56 and Article 57(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and formulating the evaluation opinion, all necessary information on the management of the national programme; (n) set up procedures to ensure that all documents regarding expenditure, decisions and control activities have the required audit trail and are held in accordance with the Commission Implementing Regulations adopted on the basis of Article 27(5) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014. (o) ensure that the Audit Authority receives, for the purposes of carrying out the audits referred to in Article 29 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and formulating the audit opinion, all necessary information on the management and control procedures applied and expenditure financed under the Specific Regulations; (p) draw up the implementation reports referred to in Article 54 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and the evaluation reports referred to in Article 57(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and submit them to the Commission using SFC2014; (q) draw up the request for payment in accordance with Article 44 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and submit it to the Commission using SFC2014; (r) carry out information and publicity activities and disseminate the programme's results, in accordance with Article 53 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014; (s) carry out administrative controls and on-the-spot controls in accordance with Article 27 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014; (t) cooperate with the Commission and the Responsible Authorities in other Member States; and (u) respond to the findings of the Audit Authority either by addressing them or, where the findings of the Audit Authority are not accepted, by providing a detailed justification.