Brussels, 17/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - In the framework of the traditional procedure of the so-called clearance of accounts of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), now called "Agricultural Audit System", the European Commission decided, on Tuesday, to ask certain Member States to refund a total of 142.9 million euro in agricultural aid considered as having been illicitly spent. These amounts will be demanded due to controls regarded as inadequate or for the non-respect of Community rules concerning agricultural expenditure for different budgetary financial years. The main corrections concern: - Spain (23 million, mostly due to the lack of controls concerning the animal permia sector "beef"); - Greece (107 million, 73 of which for unsatisfactory control in aid to producers of olive oil); - France (15.8 million for arable crops and animal premia and non-respect of deadlines for payment). The animal premia (71.7 million euro) come on top, followed by schemes for olive oil (48.6 million) and fruit and vegetables (9.2 million imputed to Greece for fraudulent aid to producers of dry raisins).
This decision is the second taken by the Commission this year in the context of the Agricultural Expenditure Audit (see EUROPE of 7 February, p.12). Two other Commission decisions relating to the recovery of funds should be adopted by the end of the year depending on progress in its investigations in Member States. In 2000, the Commission recovered 632.7 million in this context.