30.9.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 271/83 COMMISSION DECISION of 29 September 2006 conferring management of aid on implementing agencies for pre-accession measures in agriculture and rural development in Croatia in the pre-accession period (2006/658/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 of 21 June 1999 on co-ordinating aid to the applicant countries in the framework of the pre-accession strategy and amending Regulation (EEC) No 3906/1989 (1), and in particular Article 12(2) thereof, Having regard to the 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 (3, and in particular Article 4(5) and (6) thereof, Whereas: (1) The Rural Development Programme for Croatia was approved by Commission Decision C(2006) 301 of 8 February 2006, in accordance with Article 4(5) and (6) of Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999. (2)  The Croatian government and the Commission, acting on behalf of the European Community, signed on 29 December 2005 the Multi-annual Financing Agreement (hereinafter MAFA) laying down the technical, legal and administrative framework for the execution of the Sapard Programme. (3)  The Republic of Croatia notified the Commission of the completion of all the necessary internal procedures for its conclusion on 6 April 2006, what is the date of entry into force of the MAFA. () OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 68. (® OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 2112/2005 (O] L 344, 27.12.2005, p. 23). (4 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 the national and sectorial  programme/project management capacity, financial control procedures and structures regarding public finance. Commission Regulation (EC) No 2222[2000 (3) provides for detailed rules for the carrying out of the said analysis. (5)  The Competent Authority of Croatia has appointed the Directorate for Market and Structural Support in Agri- culture, an organisational unit of the Ministry of Agri- culture, Forestry and Water Management, acting as the Sapard Agency. It will be responsible for implementing the following measures: No 1 ‘Investments into Agri- cultural Holdings’ and No 2 ‘Improving the Processing and Marketing of Agricultural and Fishery Products’ as defined in the Rural Development Programme that was approved by Decision C(2006) 301; whereas the National Fund, within the Ministry of Finance, has been appointed for the financial functions it is due to perform in the framework of the implementation of the Sapard Programme. (6)  Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 and Regu- lation (EC) No 2222/2000, the Commission analysed the national and sectorial programme/project management capacity, financial control procedures and structures regarding public finance and considers that, for the implementation of the aforementioned measures, Croatia complies with the provisions of Articles 4 to 6 and of the Annex to the Regulation (EC) No 2222/2000, with the minimum conditions set out in the Annex to the Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999. (7 In particular, the Sapard Agency has implemented the following key accreditation criteria satisfactorily: written procedures, segregation of duties, pre-project approval and  pre-payment checks, payment procedures, accounting procedures and internal audit. (8)  On 14 March 2006 the Croatian Authorities provided the list of eligible expenditure in conformity with Article 4(1), Section B of the MAFA. This list was partially modified by letter of 11 July 2006. The Commission is called upon to take a decision in this respect. () O] L 253, 7.10.2000, p. 5.