No L 388/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 30.12. 89 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 4045/89 of 21 December 1989 on scrutiny by Member States of transactions forming part of the system of financing by the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund and repealing : Directive 77/435/EEC ' THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (), Having regard to the opinion. of the European Parliament (2), Whereas, under Article 8 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 of 21 April 1970 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (3), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2048/88 (), the Member States take the measures necessary to satisfy themselves that transactions financed by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGEF) are actually carried out and are executed correctly, to prevent and deal with irregularities and to recover sums lost as a result of irregularities or negligence; Whereas scrutiny of . the commercial documents of undertakings received or making payments can be a very effective means of surveillance of transactions forming part of the system of financing by the Guarantee Section of the _EAGGF; whereas this scrutiny supplements other- inspections already carried out by the Member States; whereas, furthérmore, national provisions relating to- scrutiny which are more extensive than those provided for in the Regulation- are not affected by this Regulation; Whereas Member States must be encouraged to reinforce the scrutiny of commercial documents of undertakings receiving or-making- payments which they have carried out in accordance with Directive 77/435/EEC (5); Whereas the implementation by Member States of the rules arising from Directive 77/435/EEC has disclosed the need for certain provisions of that Directive to be amended on the basis of experience gained; whereas in view of the nature of - the provisions concerned the amendments should be included in a Regulation; Whereas the documents used as a basis for such scrutiny should be determined in such a way as to enable a full scrutiny to be carried out; (1) OJ No C 192, 29. 7. 1987, p. 15. (2) OJ No C 291, 20. 11. 1989, p. 105. (3) O] No L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13. (*) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 1. (5) O] No L 172, 12.7. 1977, p. 17. Whereas the undertakings to be scrutinized must be selected on the basis of the nature of the transactions carried out on their responsibility and the breakdown of the undertakings receiving or making payments according to their financial importance in the system of financing by the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF; . Whereas, furthermore, it is necessary. to provide for a minimum number of inspections of commercial documents; _ whereas this number must be determined by a method which precludes substantial differences between the Member States by virtue of differences in the structure of their expenditure under the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF; whereas this method may be established by referring to the number of undertakings of a certain importance in the system of financing by the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF; Whereas the powers of the officials responsible for scrutiny and the obligations on undertakings to make commercial documents available to such officials for a specified period and to supply such information as may be requested by them should be defined; whereas it should also be stipulated that commercial documents may be seized in certain cases; Whereas it is necessary to organize cooperation among the Member States on account of the international structure of agricultural trade and with a view to the completion of the internal market; whereas it is also necessary for a centralized documentation system concerning undertakings receiving or making payments established in third countries to be set up at Community level; : Whereas, while it is the responsibility of the Member States in the first instance to adopt their scrutiny programmes, it is necessary that these programmes be communicated to the Commission so that it can assume its supervisory and coordinating role and to ensure that the programmes are " adopted on the basis of appropriate criteria; whereas scrutiny can thus be concentrated on sectors or undertakings where the risk of fraud is high; Whereas the departments carrying out scrutiny pursuant to - this Regulation must be organized independently of the departments carrying out scrutiny prior to payment; Whereas it is essential that each Member State have a special department responsible for monitoring the application of this Regulation and for coordinating the scrutiny carried out in accordance with this Regulation; whereas the officials belonging to that department may make inspections of undertakings in accordance with this Regulation;