17.5.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 134/65 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 14 May 2001 conferring management of aid on implementing agencies for pre-accession measures in agriculture and rural development in the Republic of Bulgaria in the pre-accession period (notified under document number C(2001) 1428) (2001/380/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 of 21 June 1999 on coordinating aid to the applicant countries in the framework of the pre-accession strategy and amending Regula- tion (EEC) No 3906/89 ('), and in particular Article 12(2) thereof, Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2222/2000 of 7 June 2000 laying down financial rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession period (3), and in particular Article 3(2) thereof, Whereas: (1)  In accordance with Article 4(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 of 21 June 1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession period (%), a Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development was approved by Commission Decision C(2000)3058 final on 20 October 2000 for the Republic of Bulgaria. (2)  The Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Commission, acting on behalf of the Euroepan Community, have signed on 18 December 2000 the Multiannual Financing Agreement laying down the tech- nical, legal and administrative framework for the execu- tion of the Sapard Programme. (3)  Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 provides that the ex-ante approval requirement referred to in Article 12(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 may be waived on the basis of a case-by-case analysis of national and sectorial O] L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 68. () O] L 253, 7.10.2000, p. 5. () O] L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87. programme/project management capacity, financial control procedures and structures regarding public finance. Regulation (EC) No 2222/2000 provides for detailed rules for the carrying out of said analysis. The Competent authority of the Republic of Bulgaria has appointed, on the one hand, the State Agriculture Fund for the implementation of measures ‘Investments in agri- cultural holdings’, ‘Improving the processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products’ and ‘Development and diversification of economic activities, provision for multiple activities and alternative income’ as defined in the Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development that was approved by Decision C(2000)3058 final for the Republic of Bulgaria and, on the other, the Ministry of Finance, Directorate National Fund, for the financial functions it is due to perform in the framework of the implementation of the Sapard programme. Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 and Regula- tion (EC) No 2222/2000, the Commission has analysed the national and sectorial programme/project manage- ment capacity, financial control procedures and struc- tures regarding public finance and has established that, for the implementation of the aforementioned measures, the Republic of Bulgaria complies with the provisions of Atrticles 4 to 6 and of the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 22222000, with the minimum conditions set out in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999. In particular, the State Agriculture Fund has implemented the following key accreditation criteria satisfactorily: written procedures, segregation of duties, pre-project and pre- payment checks, commitment and payment procedures, accounting procedures, computer systems security and internal audit; the Ministry of Finance, Directorate National Fund has implemented the following key accreditation criteria satisfactorily: audit trail, treasury management, receipt of funds, disbursement to the State Agriculture Fund, computer security and internal audit.