Article 74
1. Legal commitments relating to individual financial commitments shall be concluded by the Commission by 31 December of year N at the latest, year N being the year in which the Commission's individual financial commitment was adopted, subject to Article 68(3). 2. As a general rule, global financial commitments shall cover the total cost of the corresponding individual legal commitments concluded by the Commission up to 31 December of year N + 1, year N being the year in which the Commission's global financial commitment was adopted, subject to Article 68(3). However, where the global commitments referred to in Article 70(3)(a) are implemented, the Commission shall conclude the corresponding individual contracts and agreements no later than three years following the date of conclusion of the financing agreement. Individual contracts and agreements relating to audit and evaluation may be concluded later. Riders to contracts already concluded may also be concluded later. At the end of the periods referred to in paragraph 1 and the first and second subparagraphs of this paragraph, the authorising officer responsible shall decommit the unused balance of those financial commitments.