The European Commission is asking the UK Government to repay €3.779m (approximately £3.3m) of European agricultural money due to late payments and overshooting the financial ceilings for 2009. This is part of a clawback from 19 EU countries of € 578.5 million of EU farm money unduly spent. This money returns to the EU budget because of non-compliance with EU rules or inadequate control procedures on agricultural expenditure. Member States are responsible for paying out and checking expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Commission is required to ensure that Member States have made correct use of the funds.

A total of € 578.5 million of EU farm money unduly spent by Member States is claimed back as a result of a decision adopted today by the European Commission. This money returns to the EU budget because of non-compliance with EU rules or inadequate control procedures on agricultural expenditure. Member States are responsible for paying out and checking expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Commission is required to ensure that Member States have made correct use of the funds.

Commenting on the decision, Dacian CioloÅŸ, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “We are working hard to achieve the best possible control of farm spending in order to verify that taxpayers money is not being misspent"

Main financial corrections

Under this latest decision, funds will be recovered from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Lithuania Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and United Kingdom. The most significant individual corrections are:

• € 210.9 million charged to Greece for poor LPIS-GIS and deficiencies in on-the spot controls in respect of claim year 2006 for area-aids expenditure, including area-based rural development measures;
• € 54.7 million charged to Greece with regard to dried grapes for reductions in the minimum yield, plot specialisation, ineffective vineyard register and weaknesses in scheme management and control for the financial years 2003-2007;
• € 50.16 million charged to Greece for failure to reduce aid payments for non respect of veterinary requirements regarding the maintenance of sheep registers, for deficiencies in on-the-spot and administrative checks and for absence of specific risk criteria for Less Favoured Area additional premium controls;
• € 41.7 million charged to Romania for weaknesses in the LPIS-GIS, administrative controls and sanctions application;
• € 40.69 million charged to Portugal for weaknesses in the LPIS-GIS, deficiencies in the risk analysis for control, insufficient number and quality of on-the-spot checks, incorrect application of sanctions, inadequate guidelines and deficiencies in administrative checks for area-aids expenditure including area-based rural development measures;
• € 28.94 million charged to The Netherlands for the absence of a key control concerning payment of minimum price to producers in financial years 2003 to 2008;
• € 20.2 million charged to Bulgaria for poor LPIS-GIS and deficiencies in on-the spot controls in respect of claim year 2006 for area-aids expenditure, including area-based rural development measures;
• € 19.76 million charged to Greece for tobacco deliveries after the regulatory deadlines, incorrect approval of first processors and transfer of cultivation contracts.