Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005^f1, and in particular Article 58(7) thereof,

Whereas:

Article 19(1) of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013^f2 provides for a revision of the multiannual financial framework in the event of the adoption after 1 January 2014 of programmes under shared management for, inter alia, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in order to transfer to subsequent years, in excess of the corresponding expenditure ceilings, allocations not used in 2014.

The rural development programmes of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Romania, Sweden and certain regional programmes of Belgium, Germany, France and the United Kingdom were not ready for adoption by the end of 2014.

Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 has been revised accordingly by Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2015/623^f3 transferring, for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the corresponding unused 2014 allocations into 2015 and 2016 expenditure ceilings.

Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013, which lays down the breakdown of Union support for rural development for the period 2014 to 2020, should therefore be amended accordingly.

As this Regulation is essential for a smooth and timely adoption of rural development programmes, it is appropriate that it enters into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: