No L 138/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 29. 5. 97 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 5 May 1997 on the clearance of the accounts of Member States’ expenditure financed by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Guarantee Section, for the 1996 financial year (97/316/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 of 21 April 1970 on the financing of the common agricul- tural policy ('), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1287/95 (3, and in particular Article 5 (2) (b) thereof, After consulting the Fund Committee, Whereas, under Article § (2) (b) of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70, the Commission, on the basis of the annual accounts submitted by the Member States, accompanied by the information required for clearance and a certificate regarding the integrality, exactitude and veracity of the accounts transmitted, and reports drawn up by the certi- fying bodies, clears the accounts of the paying agencies referred to in Article 4 (1) of that Regulation; Whereas, with regard to Article 7 (1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 296/96 of 16 February 1996 on data to be forwarded by the Member States and the monthly booking of expenditure financed under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and J No L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13. J No L 125, 8. 6. 1995, p. 1. Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2776/88 (%), account is taken for the 1996 finan- cial year of expenditure made by the Member States between 16 October 1995 and 15 October 1996; Whereas the time limits granted to the Member States for the submission to the Commission of the documents referred to in Article 5 (1) (b) of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 and in Article 4 (1), (3) and (4) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1663/95 of 7 July 1995 laying down detailed rules for the application of Commission Regula- tion (EEC) No 729/70 regarding the procedure for the clearance of accounts of the EAGGF Guarantee Section (*) have expired; Whereas the Commission has checked the information submitted, and communicated to the Member States before the 31 March 1997 the results of its verifications of that information with the necessary amendments; Whereas, according to the first subparagraph of Article 7 (1) of Regulation (EC) No 1663/95, the accounts clearance decision referred to in Article § (2) (b) of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 must determine the amount of expend- iture effected in each Member State during the financial year in question recognized as being chargeable to the EAGGF Guarantee Section, without prejudice to decisions taken subsequently in accordance with paragraph 2 (c) of () OJ No L 39, 17. 2. 1996, p. 5. () OJ No L 158, 8. 7. 1995, p. 6.