23/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 23 July in Brussels, the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the EU adopted its conclusions on special report No. 1/2007 on the execution of mid-term processes for the 2000-06 Structural Funds. These conclusions include some of the following: “satisfactory reception of the Court of Auditors” report and takes note of the recommendations made in the said report”; regrets that, “it was not possible to present this report before the conclusion of negotiations on the legislative mechanism on cohesion policy but underlines that the number of amendments proposed to it already figure in the mechanism in question for 2007-13, which is testimony to their significance”; particularly supports, “the recommendation calling for simplification and rationalisation of the procedures and deadlines, which will contribute to even more efficient implementation of cohesion policy”; takes notes with interest of the, “recommendation asking for further improvements to the follow-up system and to ensure that appropriate indicators are the subject of a follow-up during the new programming period” and shares the opinion of the Court of Auditors with the rule on automatic decommitment. (gb)