COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 16 December 1975 on stricter prevention of and proceedings against irregularities in the financing of the common agricultural policy

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having noted the reports prepared by the Special Committee of Inquiry set up by the Commission, and submitted by the latter;

Aware of the increasing importance attached by European public opinion to stricter prevention of fraudulent applications for subsidies and other irregularities in the financing of the common agricultural policy;

In an effort to improve Community law, supervision arrangements and cooperation in the Community;

Convinced that for the sake of efficiency it is important to reinforce the measures concerning the prevention of and proceedings against irregularities, the recovery of sums paid in error and the basic and further vocational training of supervisory staff;

With a view to making use of data processing facilities in the Community to combat irregularities and to supervise the financing of the common agricultural policy,

HAS AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

I

The Council: - welcomes the initiative taken by the Commission of setting up a Special Committee of Inquiry to examine the possibilities of stricter prevention of and proceedings against irregularities in the financing of the common agricultural policy and more efficient recovery of sums paid in error,

- notes the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry with particular interest,

- requests those Member States which have not already done so, within their sphere of authority, to put the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the Committee into practice in the work of their national authorities and to inform the Commission of the measures taken,

- desires the Commission to submit appropriate proposals, on the basis of the results of the Inquiry,

- urges the Commission, within its sphere of authority, to take measures to ensure stricter application and improved drafting of the implementing legislation of the European Communities and to notify the Council thereof as soon as possible,

- proposes to review, on the basis of a detailed report and evalution to be submitted by the Commission, the action taken and the results achieved in the campaign against irregularities,

- considers it advisable that, for the sake of greater efficiency, the Committee of Inquiry continue its work with a view to investigating the problems in greater depth and extending its terms of reference ; its work should be based in particular on the results of appropriate inquiries by Community and national supervisory authorities.

II

The Community institutions are asked to increase, to the greatest extent possible, their efforts to ensure that Community acts exclude any possibility of financial support being granted: - for sham transactions,

- where the use of the subsidized products is clearly contrary to the aims of the Community Acts, to the extent that these aims are specified.

The Member States are invited to examine how far it may be advisable to improve cooperation between, on the one hand, the authorities responsible for administering the common agricultural policy and, on the other hand, the authorities responsible for investigating irregularities in this sector and for recovering sums paid in error.

Besides improvement and extension of supervision, carried out in particular by the Community institutions, cooperation within the Community should be intensified. In this context, official contacts, information and the basic and further vocational training of supervisory staff should be improved.

The Committee of Inquiry's suggestions concerning a Community data-processing system for the supervision and prevention of irregularities should be examined in greater depth, as should its suggestions on the establishment of a European data bank.