CHAPTER IVGENERAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 16

1.

The financial contribution by the Union for the annual and multiannual programmes referred to in Articles 1 to 12 (‘the programmes’) shall be granted provided that the Member States concerned:

(a)

implement the programmes in accordance with the relevant provisions of Union law, including rules on competition and on the award of public contracts;

(b)

bring into force by 1 January 2013 at the latest the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary for implementing the programmes;

(c)

forward to the Commission by 31 July 2013 at the latest the intermediate technical and financial reports for the programmes, in accordance with Article 27(7)(a) of Decision 2009/470/EC, covering the period from 1 January to 30 June 2013;

(d)

only for the programmes referred to in Article 8, report to the Commission the positive and negative results of investigations detected during their surveillance of poultry and wild birds through the Commission online system, every six months, in accordance with Article 4 of Commission Decision 2010/367/EU10;

(e)

forward an annual detailed technical report to the Commission for the programmes in accordance with Article 27(7)(b) of Decision 2009/470/EC by 30 April 2014 at the latest on the technical execution of the programme concerned accompanied by justifying evidence as to the costs paid by the Member State and the results attained during the period from 1 January to 31 December 2013;

(f)

implement the programmes efficiently;

(g)

do not submit further requests for other contributions from the Union for those measures, and have not previously submitted such requests.

2.

Where a Member State does not comply with paragraph 1, the Commission may reduce the financial contribution by the Union having regard to the nature and gravity of the infringement, and to the financial loss for the Union.