Financing Memorandum Agreed between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the European Commission concerning the Grant of Assistance from the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession to the Following Measure "Technical Assistance for the Introduction of the Extended Decentralised Implementation System (EDIS) for Management of ISPA in Latvia"

The European Commission, hereinafter referred to as "the Commission", acting for and on behalf of the European Community, hereinafter referred to as "the Community" represented by the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Mr. Michel Barnier, for the Commission,

on the one part, and

The Government of the Republic of Latvia, hereinafter referred to as "the beneficiary"

on the other part,

have agreed as follows:

Article 1

The measure referred to in Article 2 below shall be implemented and financed out of the budgetary resources of the Community in accordance with the provisions set out in this Memorandum. The measure referred to in Article 2 below shall be implemented in line with the General Conditions annexed to the Framework Agreement signed between the Commission and the beneficiary and supplemented by the terms of this Memorandum and the provisions annexed hereto.

Article 2

Identification of the measure

The Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession shall contribute, by way of a grant, towards the financing of the following measure as described in Annex I:

Measure number: 2001/LV/16/P/PA/006

Title: Technical Assistance for the introduction of the Extended Decentralised Implementation System (EDIS) for management of ISPA in Latvia

Duration: Start date: The date of signature of the financing memorandum by the Commission

End date: 31st December 2002

Location: Latvia

Group: Technical Assistance for institution building in the framework of EDIS

Article 3

Commitment

1. The maximum public or equivalent expenditure which may be taken into account for the purpose of calculating assistance shall be e 700 000.

2. The rate of Community assistance granted to the measure is fixed exceptionally at 100% of total public or equivalent expenditure as indicated in the financing plan in Annex II.

3. The maximum amount of assistance from the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession is fixed at e 700 000.

4. An amount of e 560 000 is committed from the 2001 budget under budgetary line B7-020. Commitments in respect of subsequent instalments shall be based on the initial or revised financing plan for the measure, subject to the state of implementation of the measure and to budgetary availability.

Article 4

Payments

1. Community assistance shall cover payments on the measure for which legally binding commitments have been made in the beneficiary and for which the requisite finance has been specifically allocated. These payments must relate to the services described in Annex I.

2. Payments made before (date of signature of financing memorandum by the Commission) shall not be eligible for assistance from the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession.

3. The measure described in Annex I and payments by the body responsible for the implementation of the measure shall be completed no later than 31st December 2002.

4. The report required for the payment of the final balance should be submitted not later than 6 months after this date.

5. The advance payment is fixed at e 140 000, which shall be transferred as follows:

- An amount of e 70 000 is paid out after signature of this memorandum by the beneficiary;

- The remainder is paid out following the signing of the first technical assistance contract.

Article 5

Respect of Community law and policies

The measure shall be carried out in compliance with the relevant provisions set out in the Europe Agreements and shall contribute to the achievement of Community policies.

Article 6

Intellectual property

The Beneficiary and the authority responsible for implementation mentioned in Annex I point 3 shall ensure that they acquire all necessary intellectual property rights to studies, drawings, plans, publicity and other material made in conjunction with planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project. They shall guarantee that the Commission, or any body or person delegated by the Commission shall have access and the right to use such material. The Commission will only use such material for its own purpose.

Article 7

Permits and authorisations

Any type of permits and or authorisations required for the implementation of the measure must be provided by the competent authorities of the Beneficiary in due time and in accordance with national law.

Article 8

Specific conditions related to the measure

The terms of reference of the individual assignments for Technical Assistance as well as any deviation from the indicative set-up of the measure as described in Annex I have to be approved by the Commission.

Article 9

The implementation provisions described in the Annexes to this financing memorandum form an integral part of it.

Non-compliance with the conditions and implementation provisions shall be dealt with by the Commission according to the procedure stipulated in Annex III.1. Section VIII.

Article 10

The authentic text of this financing memorandum is the present document as signed hereunder.

Done at Rīga, Done at Brussels,

17.01.2002. 11.12.2001.

For the recipient For the Community

I. Sudraba Guy Crauser

National Authorising Officer Director General

List of Annexes