Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the financing of the common agricultural policy^f1, and in particular Article 7 (5) thereof,

Whereas:

Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 296/96^f2 provides that the Commission is to place at the disposal of the Member States, within the framework of the budget appropriations, the funds needed to cover expenditure to be financed by the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural and Guidance Fund.

Article 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 296/96 provides that expenditure declared in respect of a given month must in general fall within payments and receipts effected during this month. Some exceptions to that principle are provided for.

To ensure the respect of the budget and to the extent necessary to comply with the provisions of Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 296/96, it should be possible for Member States to adjust expenditure declarations other than those for measures covered by Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)^f3 and to declare expenditure in respect of the following month.

Regulation (EC) No 296/96 should therefore be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: