Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1362/2014
of 18 December 2014
laying down rules on a simplified procedure for the approval of certain amendments to operational programmes financed under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and rules concerning the format and presentation of the annual reports on the implementation of those programmes
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2328/2003, (EC) No 861/2006, (EC) No 1198/2006 and (EC) No 791/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1255/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1), and in particular Articles 22(1) and 114(3) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) According to Article 20 of Regulation (EU) No 508/2014, any amendments to an operational programme financed under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (‘EMFF’) must be approved by the Commission.
(2) According to Article 22(2) of Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 procedures and timetables for the submission and approval of the following amendments to operational programmes are to be simplified in the following cases: (a) amendments to operational programmes concerning a transfer of funds between Union priorities, provided that the funds transferred do not exceed 10 % of the amount allocated to the Union priority; (b) amendments to operational programmes concerning the introduction or withdrawal of measures or types of relevant operations and related information and indicators; (c) amendments to operational programmes concerning changes in the description of measures, including changes of eligibility conditions; (d) amendments required by changes in the priorities of the Union for the enforcement and control policy. Such amendments to operational programmes should not affect the overall intervention logic of the programme, the selected Union priorities and specific objectives, nor the results they should deliver and should therefore raise no doubts as to their compatibility with the existing rules and practices.
(3) It is therefore necessary to lay down rules on a simplified procedure for the approval of amendments to operational programmes listed in Article 22(2) of Regulation (EU) No 508/2014. This procedure should allow the Commission to approve within an accelerated time frame such type of amendments submitted by a given Member State to their operational programme. In view of the time constraints, the simplified procedure should be subject to Member States submitting a request supported with complete information allowing the Commission to make the full assessment of the proposed amendments.
(4) Pursuant to Article 50 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 and Article 114 of Regulation (EU) No 508/2014, each Member State is to submit to the Commission an annual report on the implementation of its operational programme by 31 May of each year from 2016 until 2023.
(5) The annual implementation report submitted by the Member States should provide information that is consistent and comparable between the years of implementation as well as among Member States. The report should also allow for aggregation of data at the level of the EMFF or where necessary, for the whole of the European Structural and Investment Funds.
(6) It is necessary to lay down rules concerning the format and presentation of those annual implementation reports.
(7) In order to allow for the prompt application of the measures provided for in this Regulation, this Regulation should enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
(8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: