Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (repealed)Show full title

CHAPTER 4 Payment and control

Article 134 Pre-financing guarantee

1. The authorising officer responsible may, if he or she deems it appropriate and proportionate, on a case-by-case basis and subject to risk analysis, require the beneficiary to lodge a guarantee in advance in order to limit the financial risks connected with the payment of pre-financing.

2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, guarantees shall not be required in the case of low value grants.

3. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 210 concerning detailed rules on the pre-financing guarantee.

Article 135 Payment of grants and controls

1. The amount of the grant shall not become final until after the authorising officer responsible has approved the final reports and accounts, without prejudice to subsequent checks by the institution concerned, which shall be carried out in a timely manner.

2. Where the award procedure proves to have been subject to substantial errors, irregularities or fraud, the authorising officer responsible shall suspend the procedure and may take whatever measures are necessary, including the cancellation of the procedure. The authorising officer responsible shall inform OLAF immediately of suspected cases of fraud.

3. Where, after the award of the grant, the award procedure or the implementation of the grant proves to have been subject to substantial errors, irregularities, fraud, or breach of obligations, the authorising officer responsiblemay, depending on the stage reached in the procedure and, provided that the applicant or beneficiary has been given the opportunity to make observations:

(a) refuse to sign the grant agreement or to give notification of the grant decision;

(b) suspend implementation of the grant; or

(c) where appropriate, terminate the grant agreement or decision.

4. Where such errors, irregularities or fraud are attributable to the beneficiary, or should the beneficiary breach his or her obligations under a grant agreement or decision, the authorising officer responsible may, in addition, reduce the grant or recover amounts unduly paid under the grant agreement or decision, in proportion to the seriousness of the errors, irregularities or fraud or of the breach of obligations, provided that the beneficiary has been given the opportunity to make observations.

5. Where controls or audits demonstrate systemic or recurrent errors, irregularities, fraud or breach of obligations attributable to the beneficiary and having a material impact on a number of grants awarded to that beneficiary under similar conditions, the authorising officer responsible may suspend implementation of all the grants concerned or, where appropriate, terminate the concerned grant agreements or decisions with that beneficiary, in proportion to the seriousness of the errors, irregularities, fraud or of the breach of obligations, provided that the beneficiary has been given the opportunity to make observations.

The authorising officer responsible may, in addition, following an adversarial procedure, reduce the grants or recover amounts unduly paid in respect of all the grants affected by the systemic or recurrent errors, irregularities, fraud or breach of obligations referred to in the first subparagraph that may be audited in accordance with the grant agreements or decisions.

6. The authorising officer responsible shall determine the amounts to be reduced or recovered, wherever possible and practicable, on the basis of costs unduly declared as eligible for each grant concerned, following acceptance of the revised financial statements submitted by the beneficiary.

7. Where it is not possible or practicable to quantify precisely the amount of ineligible costs for each grant concerned, the amounts to be reduced or recovered may be determined by extrapolating the reduction or recovery rate applied to the grants for which the systemic or recurrent errors or irregularities have been demonstrated, or, where ineligible costs cannot serve as a basis for determining the amounts to be reduced or recovered, by applying a flat rate, having regard to the principle of proportionality. The beneficiary shall be given the opportunity to make observations on the extrapolation method or flat rate to be applied and to propose a duly substantiated alternative method or rate before the reduction or recovery is made.

8. The Commission shall ensure equal treatment of beneficiaries of a programme, in particular where it is implemented by several authorising officers responsible.

Beneficiaries shall be informed of the means for challenging decisions taken under paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of this Article, in accordance with Article 97.

9. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 210 concerning detailed rules for the payment of grants and controls, including rules concerning supporting documents and the suspension and reduction of grants.

Article 136 Periods for record-keeping

1. Beneficiaries shall keep records, supporting documents, statistical records and other records pertaining to a grant for five years following the payment of the balance, and for three years in the case of low value grants.

2. Records pertaining to audits, appeals, litigation, or the pursuit of claims arising out of the performance of the project shall be retained until such audits, appeals, litigation or claims have been disposed of.