Luxembourg, 16/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission said at the Agriculture Council on 16 June that it was legally impossible to extend the eligibility of expenditure on 2007-2013 rural development programmes by six months, as a number of countries had asked.
The programming period for rural development schemes for the period 2007-2013 ends on 31 December of this year. At the Council meeting, Romania, supported by Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Cyprus, called for the deadline to be extended by six months to allow full and effective use of funding in the member states, especially those in difficult financial straits. The Commission replied that it no longer had any legal possibility of extending the eligibility period. Elsewhere, the Commission adopted a delegated act allowing flexibility between priorities to be increased (5% instead of 3%). (Lionel Changeur)