L 348/82 Official Journal of the European Communities 21.12.2002 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2304/2002 of 20 December 2002 implementing Council Decision 2001/822/EC on the association of the overseas countries and terri- tories with the European Community ('Overseas Association Decision') THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (4)  Provisions should be established for the preparation of Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Decision 2001/822/EC (), and in particular Article 23 thereof, Having regard to the Internal Agreement between Representa- tives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the Financing and Administration of Commu- nity Aid under the Financial Protocol to the Partnership Agree- ment between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Community and its Member States signed in Cotonou (Benin) on 23 June 2000 and the allocation of financial assis- tance for the Overseas Countries and Territories to which Part Four of the EC Treaty applies (%), Having regard to the Council Regulation on a Financial Regula- tion for the European Development Fund () (EDF Financial Regulation), Whereas: (1) Decision 2001/822/EC (Overseas Association Decision) requires the Commission to adopt implementing provi- sions concerning Part IIl and Annexes II(A) to (D) in cooperation with the overseas countries and territories (OCT) within the framework of the partnership proce- dure. In particular, Article 4 lays down that OCT shall have primary responsibility for the preparation of Single Programming Documents (SPD) and cooperation programmes. (2)  The provisions adopted by the Commission pursuant to Article 23 of the Overseas Association Decision should be consistent with the principles of sound financial management, partnership, complementarity and subsi- diarity and ensure ownership by the OCT of the devel- opment process as well as adequate monitoring and auditing by the OCT themselves and the Commission. (3)  Taking into account the specific needs, capabilities and constraints of the OCT, financial assistance should be granted to the OCT as budgetary support, provided the OCT management of public expenditure presents suffi- cient transparency, accountability and effectiveness. In addition, the public procurement procedures there should satisfy to the standards of the EDF Financial Regulation as to transparency and openness. Alterna- tively to budgetary support, financial assistance may be provided as support for projects or programmes when this is deemed to ensure a more effective or safer imple- mentation. () OJ L 314, 30.11.2001, p. 1. () OJ L 317, 15.12.2002, p. 355. (}) Not yet published — COM (2002)290 final, 11.06.2002. the SPD, its follow-up, audit, evaluation, review and implementation, as well as for reporting and financial corrections. Such provisions should cover the participa- tion of the Commission in those activities. Subject to any necessary adaptation to the specific OCT situation, they should be consistent with the corresponding ones in the context of structural funds, in order to enhance and facilitate the effectiveness of the Commission partici- pation. (5)  In order to facilitate regional cooperation and integration between the OCT and the ACP countries, identical rules should in principle apply. However, taking into account the geographical situation of certain OCT, which in practice cannot establish close cooperation with ACP countries or other OCT, the possibility should also be provided for regional funds to be allocated at the request of only one OCT. (6)  The measures provided for in this Regulation have been subject to consultation with the OCTs. (7)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the EDF-OCT Committee established by Article 24 of the Overseas Association Decision, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: PART 1 SUBJECT MATTER AND PRINCIPLES Article 1 Subject matter This Regulation lays down the procedures for the program- ming, implementation and control of the Community financial assistance to the OCT managed by the Commission under the Ninth European Development Fund (EDF), in accordance with the provisions of the Overseas Association Decision and the EDF Financial Regulation. Atticle 2 Complementarity and partnership 1. The programming, implementing, monitoring and evalua- tion of EDF support shall be carried out in close consultation between the OCT, the Member States concerned and the Commission.