Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007^f1, and in particular Article 30 thereof,

Whereas:

In light of the experience gained during the implementation of the three-year work programmes that started on 1 April 2015, certain provisions of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 611/2014^f2 should be simplified or clarified. At the same time, it is appropriate to further limit the administrative burden for operators and national administrations.

Given that Member States are in the best position to assess the actual risk of double funding of the different aid schemes they manage, they should lay down clear demarcation criteria that allow to make a distinction between operations or actions that are supported under the three-year work programmes and those that are funded under any other Union instruments.

The minimum allocation of Union funding to specific areas of activities should be laid down by the Member States concerned, as they are in the best position to identify the sensitive priority areas in their territory. With a view to ensuring a balanced implementation of the priorities in the territory of the Member State concerned, that minimum allocation should apply to all work programmes.

The evaluation of work programmes carried out previously by the recipient organisations within the framework of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 611/2014 should be included in the list of criteria for the selection of new work programmes.

For the sake of simplification, it is appropriate to allow using a flat rate for the purpose of calculating the overheads.

In order to better match the applications for advance payment to the liquidity of the beneficiary during the implementation of the three-year work programme, it should no longer be required that an application for an advance is included in the initial approval application.

Delegated Regulation (EU) No 611/2014 should therefore be amended accordingly.

Work programmes approved before 1 April 2018 should continue to be governed by the provisions of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 611/2014 applicable at the time of their approval until those programmes come to an end,

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