Brussels, 06/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has written to the Dutch government requesting clarifications about “weaknesses” that appear to exist in the Dutch regional development Community aid control system (“Objective 2”) obtained under the Structural Funds for 2000-06. A routine audit was carried out by the Commission between the end of 2004 and June 2006 which revealed that the Dutch authorities “are still unable to provide guarantees that everything had been correctly verified”, explained a spokesperson for Commissioner Danuta Hübner. The Commission has therefore requested the government to provide it with more information on the efficiency and correct functioning of the control system before the end of the year. The spokesperson indignantly pointed out that “The government has until the end of this year to show that it has taken measures necessary” to ensure correct control of regional aid. The regulation on Structural Funds includes the possibility of suspending aid payments, should the control system fail to comply with the rules (an option that the Commission explicitly mentions, it would appear, in its letter). The Commission said, however, that “we are not there yet”. For 2000-06, the Netherlands is eligible to a total of €3.615 from Structural Funds, including 861 million for Objective 2. (hb)