1.The operational programme shall be closed according to the provisions of Article 47(1), the payment of the final balance being determined by the Commission on the basis of the documents referred to in Article 45(1) and Article 161(2).
The Commission shall inform the beneficiary country about the date of the closure of the operational programme.
2.Notwithstanding the results of any audits performed by the Commission or the European Court of Auditors, the final balance paid by the Commission for the operational programme may be amended within nine months of the date on which it is paid or, where there is a negative balance to be reimbursed by the beneficiary country, within nine months of the date on which the recovery order is issued. Such amendment of the balance shall not affect the date of the closure of the operational programme as set out in paragraph 1.