AGRICULTURE : SEVENTEEN MEMBER STATES ORDERED TO REPAY 256.3MN EURO.

Due to late payments and poor monitoring for funding granted under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Commission asked seventeen member states on 20 December to repay 256.3 million corresponding to this irregular expenditure.

To recall, member states are responsible for paying out and checking expenditure under the CAP, and the Commission is required to ensure that member states have made correct use of the funds.

The countries concerned are: Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Sweden and Slovenia. The most significant individual corrections are:

- 183.9 million charged to Spain for shortcomings or lack of checks on crop...