ensuring that audits are carried out to verify the effective functioning of the management and control system of the cross-border programme;

ensuring that audits are carried out on operations on the basis of an appropriate sample to verify expenditure declared;

by 31 December each year from the year following the adoption of the cross-border programme to the fourth year following the last budgetary commitment:

1. (i)

   submitting to the Commission an annual control report setting out the findings of the audits carried out during the previous twelve month period ending on 30 June of the year concerned and reporting any shortcomings found in the systems for the management and control of the programme. The first report, to be submitted by 31 December of the year following the adoption of the programme, shall cover the period from 1 January of the year of adoption to 30 June of the year following the adoption of the programme. The information concerning the audits carried out after 1 July of the fourth year following the last budgetary commitment shall be included in the final control report supporting the closure declaration referred to in point (d) of this paragraph. This report shall be based on the systems audits and audits of operations carried out under points (a) and (b) of this paragraph;

2. (ii)

   issuing an opinion, on the basis of the controls and audits that have been carried out under its responsibility, as to whether the management and control system functions effectively, so as to provide a reasonable assurance that statements of expenditure presented to the Commission are correct and as a consequence reasonable assurance that the underlying transactions are legal and regular.

When a common system applies to several IPA cross-border programmes, the information referred to in point (i) may be grouped in a single report, and the opinion and declaration issued under point (ii) may cover all the cross-border programmes concerned;

submitting to the Commission at the latest by F131 March of the fifth year following the last budgetary commitment a closure declaration assessing the validity of the application for payment of the final balance and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions covered by the final statement of expenditure, which shall be supported by a final control report. This closure declaration shall be based on all the audit work carried out by or under the responsibility of the audit authority.