Progetto

Article 15

Eligibility of expenditure

By way of derogation from Article 17(3)(b) and (4) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, expenditure shall be eligible where it has been paid by the Responsible Authority before the Responsible Authority's formal designation in accordance with Article 13 of this Agreement, provided that the management and control systems applied before are essentially the same as the ones in force after the formal designation of the Responsible Authority.

Article 16

Request for payment of the annual balance

1. By 15 February of the year following the financial year, Switzerland shall submit to

the Commission the documents and information required in points (b) and (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 60(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012.

By way of derogation from Article 44(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 60(5) of Regulation (EU, Euroatom) No 966/2012, Switzerland shall submit to the Commission the opinion referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 60(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 by 15 March of the year following the financial year.

The documents submitted referred to in this paragraph shall serve as the request for payment of the annual balance.

2. The documents referred to in paragraph 1 shall be drawn up according to the models

adopted by the Commission on the basis of Article 44(3) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014.

Article 17

Implementation report

By way of derogation from Article 54(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 60(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, Switzerland shall submit to the Commission an annual report on the implementation of the national programme in the previous financial year by 15 February each year until and including 2022 and may, at the appropriate level, publish this information.

The first annual report on the implementation of the national programme shall be submitted on 15 February following the entry into force of this Agreement or the start of its provisional application.

The first report shall cover the financial years from 2014 onwards until the financial year before the first annual report was due in accordance with the second subparagraph.

Switzerland shall submit a final report on the implementation of the national programme by 31 December 2023.