Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1292/96 of 27 June 1996 on food-aid policy and food-aid management and special operations in support of food security^f1, and in particular Article 19(1) thereof,

Whereas:

Article 3(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2519/97 of 16 December 1997 laying down general rules for the mobilisation of products to be supplied under Council Regulation (EC) No 1292/96 as Community food aid^f2, allows the Commission to authorise international and non-governmental organisations which are beneficiaries of Community aid to purchase and mobilise the products for use as aid supplies themselves, provided that the Commission establishes the rules and procedures which shall then apply.

Article 164 of Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities^f3 (the implementing rules), provides that where the implementation of an action for which a Community grant may be received involves procurement, the grant agreement concluded for that purpose should include the procurement rules with which the beneficiary must comply.

Article 120 of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities^f4 (Financial Regulation) subjects the award of procurement contracts by the beneficiary of a grant to the principles set out in the Financial Regulation and its Implementing Rules.

The procurement rules to be followed by the bodies identified in part 2 of the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1292/96 for the implementation of food aid policy are already laid down in the contribution agreements concluded by the Commission with those international organisations for that purpose; for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the procurement rules and other conditions which are necessary for the mobilisation of food aid and for respecting the financial principles laid down in the Financial Regulation and its implementing rules should be based in particular on those established by Regulation (EC) No 2519/97, adapted as necessary to take into account the financial management situation.

The procurement rules should apply where the Commission authorises NGOs to purchase and mobilise food aid in the framework of the contracts to be signed for implementing the annual food aid work programme, without prejudice to the discretion for the Commission’s authorising officer to include in such contracts additional requirements for sound financial management purposes. Commission Decision of 3 September 1998 should therefore be repealed.

Pursuant to Article 29 of Regulation (EC) No 1292/96, the Food Aid and Food Security Committee has been informed of the present measure,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: