EAGGF: discharge for clearance of 1992 EAGGF accounts

In adopting the interim report by Mr Jan MULDER (ELDR, NL) on the clearance of the EAGGF accounts for 1992 Parliament condemned two Commission decisions: - the first concerned its disregard of the financial controller's refusal to give his approval and to the reduction by ECU 30.3 million of the amount of the financial correction relating to the public storage of beef in Ireland; - the second, in the case of production aid for cotton in Greece, provided for the reduction from 25 to 10% of the rate of correction for 1991 and 1992 and the reduction by some ECU 96.2 million of the financial correction. While refraining for overriding reasons in the interests of legal certainty from calling on the Commission to revise its decisions Parliament therefore deferred its decision giving a discharge until the Commission: - had strengthened the staff of the unit responsible for the clearance of accounts by 15 posts (through transfers) as had already been requested in its resolution of 17 April 1996, - (the Commission having added to the current rates of 2%, 5% and 10% a fourth rate of 25% in its rules on the calculation of flat-rate corrections) had clarified the criteria relating to the application of these rates and made it clear that the amount of the corrections must be geared solely to the amount of the loss to the Community budget. Parliament also addressed a warning to the Commission which, at the risk of being refused the discharge with the associated political implications, should in future end its practice of negotiating the amount of the financial corrections on the basis of the efforts expected by the Member States to counteract their shortcomings as regards checks. �