Research actions for agriculture and fishery, FAIR. Special report 9/1999, Court of Auditors

The committee adopted the report by Brigitte LANGENHAGEN (EPP-ED, D). It criticised the length of time the Commission and the Court of Auditors had taken to complete the procedures for auditing the FAIR programme and called for proposals to be drafted for dealing with such procedures more rapidly in future. The annual monitoring exercises carried out in the past by independent external experts had not been properly followed up, and the committee therefore wanted to see better internal and/or external controls and follow-up to improve the financial management of FAIR. The committee expressed particular concern at the Court of Auditors' remarks on flat rates for overheads and urged the Commission to reduce the flat rates as much as possible and work constantly on improving the definitions. The Commission was also urged to follow up its pledge that stronger sanctions would be applied in future and that all sums unduly paid would be recovered in full as soon as possible. Lastly, the committee called for a register to be set up in order to prevent double financing and for the Commission to conduct adequate checks in the case of interim payments. �