PURPOSE: to help Member States receiving financial assistance, as well as those that could benefit from adjustment programmes, so that they can continue to have the financial means to implement their projects within the framework of fishing sector policy.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 335/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 on the European Fisheries Fund, as regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability.

CONTENT: Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 was already amended by Regulation (EU) No 387/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council. That amendment allowed the increase of interim and final payments from the European Fisheries Fund by an amount corresponding to 10 percentage points above the actual co-financing rate for each priority axis for Member States which are facing serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability and which request to benefit from that measure. That measure applied until 31 December 2013.

This amending Regulation extends the appliation of the increased co-financing rate to ensure the proper performance of the operational programmes supported by the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) in the Member States which suffer because of the financial crisis and the economic recession budget restrictions and which still face serious difficulties.

Member States receiving financial assistance should also benefit from the increase of the co-financing rate until the end of the eligibility period and should be able to claim it in their requests for payment of the final balance, even if the financial assistance is no longer provided.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 05/04/2014. The Regulation shall apply from 01/01/2014.

The European Parliament adopted by 463 votes to 22, with 2 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 as regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability.

Parliament adopted its position in first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of an agreement between Parliament and Council.

Members proposed to amend Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 on the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) so that, by way of derogation from the Regulation, at the request of a Member State, interim payments shall be increased by an amount corresponding to 10 percentage points above the co-financing rate applicable to each priority axis, up to a maximum of 100%, to be applied to the amount of eligible public expenditure newly declared in each certified statement of expenditure submitted provided that the Member State, on or after 31 December 2013, subject to certain.

The Regulation should apply from 1 January 2014.

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Maria do Céu PATRÃO NEVES (EPP, PT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 as regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability.

It recommended that the Parliament’s position adopted at first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

Members proposed to amend Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 in order to clarify that Member States receiving financial assistance should also benefit from the increased co-financing rate until the end of the eligibility period and the submission of the final application for payment, even where they are no longer receiving financial assistance by that time.

This Regulation should apply from 1 January 2014.

PURPOSE: to extend the increased co-financing for Member States threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: in the context of the ongoing economic and financial crisis, the smooth implementation of the European Fisheries Fund programmes is of particular importance for investment in the fisheries sector. This is particularly the case for those Member States which have been most affected by the crisis and have received financial assistance under an adjustment programme.

In order to facilitate the management of Union funding, to help accelerate investments and to improve the availability of funding to the economy, Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 was amended in 2012 to allow the increase of interim and final payments from the European Fisheries Fund by an amount corresponding to ten percentage points above the actual co-financing rate for each priority axis for Member States which are facing serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability and request to benefit from that measure.

Article 77a of Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 allows for the application of that increased co-financing rate up to 31 December 2013. However, since Member States still face serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability, the application of the increased co-financing rate should not be limited to the end of 2013.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the proposal would allow the Commission to top up payments to programme countries until the end of the 2007-2013 period. The increase will be an amount calculated by applying ten percentage points top-up to the co-financing rates applicable to the priority axes of the programmes to the newly certified expenditure submitted during the period in question until the ceiling for payments is reached.

The total financial allocation for the period from the Fund to the countries and the programmes in question will not change.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: it is proposed to modify article 77a of the Regulation to allow the Commission to continue, until the end of the eligibility period of the 2007-2013 operational programmes, to reimburse the newly declared expenditure by an increased amount calculated by applying a 10 percentage points top-up of the applicable co-financing rates for the priority axis.

The contribution from the fund to the priority axis concerned cannot be higher than the amount mentioned in the Commission decision approving the operational programme.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: There is no impact on commitment appropriations since no modification is proposed to the maximum amounts of the Fund financing provided for in the operational programmes for the 2007-2013 programming period. For payment appropriations, the proposal relating to the top-up is budget neutral.

PURPOSE: to extend the increased co-financing for Member States threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: in the context of the ongoing economic and financial crisis, the smooth implementation of the European Fisheries Fund programmes is of particular importance for investment in the fisheries sector. This is particularly the case for those Member States which have been most affected by the crisis and have received financial assistance under an adjustment programme.

In order to facilitate the management of Union funding, to help accelerate investments and to improve the availability of funding to the economy, Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 was amended in 2012 to allow the increase of interim and final payments from the European Fisheries Fund by an amount corresponding to ten percentage points above the actual co-financing rate for each priority axis for Member States which are facing serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability and request to benefit from that measure.

Article 77a of Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 allows for the application of that increased co-financing rate up to 31 December 2013. However, since Member States still face serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability, the application of the increased co-financing rate should not be limited to the end of 2013.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the proposal would allow the Commission to top up payments to programme countries until the end of the 2007-2013 period. The increase will be an amount calculated by applying ten percentage points top-up to the co-financing rates applicable to the priority axes of the programmes to the newly certified expenditure submitted during the period in question until the ceiling for payments is reached.

The total financial allocation for the period from the Fund to the countries and the programmes in question will not change.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: it is proposed to modify article 77a of the Regulation to allow the Commission to continue, until the end of the eligibility period of the 2007-2013 operational programmes, to reimburse the newly declared expenditure by an increased amount calculated by applying a 10 percentage points top-up of the applicable co-financing rates for the priority axis.

The contribution from the fund to the priority axis concerned cannot be higher than the amount mentioned in the Commission decision approving the operational programme.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: There is no impact on commitment appropriations since no modification is proposed to the maximum amounts of the Fund financing provided for in the operational programmes for the 2007-2013 programming period. For payment appropriations, the proposal relating to the top-up is budget neutral.

PURPOSE: to extend the increased co-financing for Member States threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: in the context of the ongoing economic and financial crisis, the smooth implementation of the European Fisheries Fund programmes is of particular importance for investment in the fisheries sector. This is particularly the case for those Member States which have been most affected by the crisis and have received financial assistance under an adjustment programme.

In order to facilitate the management of Union funding, to help accelerate investments and to improve the availability of funding to the economy, Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 was amended in 2012 to allow the increase of interim and final payments from the European Fisheries Fund by an amount corresponding to ten percentage points above the actual co-financing rate for each priority axis for Member States which are facing serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability and request to benefit from that measure.

Article 77a of Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 allows for the application of that increased co-financing rate up to 31 December 2013. However, since Member States still face serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability, the application of the increased co-financing rate should not be limited to the end of 2013.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the proposal would allow the Commission to top up payments to programme countries until the end of the 2007-2013 period. The increase will be an amount calculated by applying ten percentage points top-up to the co-financing rates applicable to the priority axes of the programmes to the newly certified expenditure submitted during the period in question until the ceiling for payments is reached.

The total financial allocation for the period from the Fund to the countries and the programmes in question will not change.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: it is proposed to modify article 77a of the Regulation to allow the Commission to continue, until the end of the eligibility period of the 2007-2013 operational programmes, to reimburse the newly declared expenditure by an increased amount calculated by applying a 10 percentage points top-up of the applicable co-financing rates for the priority axis.

The contribution from the fund to the priority axis concerned cannot be higher than the amount mentioned in the Commission decision approving the operational programme.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: There is no impact on commitment appropriations since no modification is proposed to the maximum amounts of the Fund financing provided for in the operational programmes for the 2007-2013 programming period. For payment appropriations, the proposal relating to the top-up is budget neutral.

PURPOSE: to extend the increased co-financing for Member States threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: in the context of the ongoing economic and financial crisis, the smooth implementation of the European Fisheries Fund programmes is of particular importance for investment in the fisheries sector. This is particularly the case for those Member States which have been most affected by the crisis and have received financial assistance under an adjustment programme.

In order to facilitate the management of Union funding, to help accelerate investments and to improve the availability of funding to the economy, Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 was amended in 2012 to allow the increase of interim and final payments from the European Fisheries Fund by an amount corresponding to ten percentage points above the actual co-financing rate for each priority axis for Member States which are facing serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability and request to benefit from that measure.

Article 77a of Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 allows for the application of that increased co-financing rate up to 31 December 2013. However, since Member States still face serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability, the application of the increased co-financing rate should not be limited to the end of 2013.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the proposal would allow the Commission to top up payments to programme countries until the end of the 2007-2013 period. The increase will be an amount calculated by applying ten percentage points top-up to the co-financing rates applicable to the priority axes of the programmes to the newly certified expenditure submitted during the period in question until the ceiling for payments is reached.

The total financial allocation for the period from the Fund to the countries and the programmes in question will not change.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: it is proposed to modify article 77a of the Regulation to allow the Commission to continue, until the end of the eligibility period of the 2007-2013 operational programmes, to reimburse the newly declared expenditure by an increased amount calculated by applying a 10 percentage points top-up of the applicable co-financing rates for the priority axis.

The contribution from the fund to the priority axis concerned cannot be higher than the amount mentioned in the Commission decision approving the operational programme.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION:

There is no impact on commitment appropriations since no modification is proposed to the maximum amounts of the Fund financing provided for in the operational programmes for the 2007-2013 programming period. For payment appropriations, the proposal relating to the top-up is budget neutral.