Achieving economy : keeping the costs of EU-financed rural development project grants under control (pursuant to Article 287(4), second subparagraph, TFEU) / European Court of Auditors.

Format:

Book

Government document

Contributor:

European Court of Auditors, issuing body.

Series:

Special report (European Court of Auditors) ; no. 2014/22.

Special report, 1831-0834 ; 2014 no.22

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rural development--European Union countries--Finance.

Rural development.

Finance.

European Union countries.

Physical Description:

64 pages : color illustrations, color maps ; 30 cm.

Place of Publication:

Luxembourg : Publications Office of the European Union, 2014.

Summary:

Member States implement a large part of the EU's rural development policy by providing grants towards the costs of investments and other projects undertaken by farmers, rural businesses, associations and local authorities. The Court found that some Member States had poorly designed systems for checking that the costs of these grants were reasonable. Workable and cost-effective approaches existed but were not widely followed. The Court outlines good practices found in the course of its audit, and concludes that there is considerable scope for making real savings in rural development project grants in the 2014-20 period by applying these good practices.

Contents:

Executive summary

Introduction

Audit scope and approach

Observations. Part I: Guidance, supervision and correction: the European Commission's responsibility for ensuring that EU rural development funds are spent well; Part II: Guarding against overspecification: approaches to ensure that the items for which the grant is approved are reasonable; Part III: Getting the best price: approaches to ensure that the prices of the items approved are reasonable; Part IV: Keeping the eye on the ball after project approval: approaches to ensure that the costs actually reimbursed are reasonable; Part V: Making it efficient: approaches to ensure that the level of requirements and checks is commensurate with the level of risk

Conclusions and recommendations

Annex I: Checklist developed by the ECA to assess the design of control systems in relation to the risks associated with rural development costs

Annex II: Rural development programmes selected for desk review

Annex III: Use of simplified cost options in the 88 rural development programmes

Annex IV: Overview of the approaches followed in the rural development programmes selected for desk review

Reply of the Commission.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

"QJ-AB-14-022-EN-C"--Page 4 of cover.

ISBN:

9789287214140

928721414X

OCLC:

905727342