L 46/40 Official Journal of the European Union 17.2.2004 COMMISSION DECISION of 13 February 2004 conferring management of aid on implementing agencies for pre-accession measures in agriculture and rural development in the Republic of Estonia in the pre-accession period (2004/143[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (4)  On the basis of a case-by-case analysis of the national 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 Regu- lation (EEC) No 3906/89 (!), and in particular Article 12(2) thereof, Having regard to 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 (%), and in particular Article 4(5) and (6) thereof, Whereas: (1)  The special accession programme for agriculture and rural development for the Republic of Estonia (herein- after Sapard) was approved by Commission Decision of 17 November 2000 (*), and as last amended by Commis- sion Decision of 19 December 2002 in accordance with Article 4(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999. (2)  The government of the Republic of Estonia and the Commission, acting on behalf of the European Com- munity, signed on 25 January 2001 the Multiannual Financing Agreement laying down the technical, legal and administrative framework for the execution of the Sapard programme, as last amended by the Annual Financing Agreement for 2003, signed on 9 December 2003 which finally entered into force on 11 December 2003. (3) A Sapard agency, within the Agricultural Registers and Information Board, has been appointed by the compe- tent authority of the Republic of Estonia for the imple- mentation of some of the measures defined in the Sapard. The Ministry of Finance, National Fund, has been appointed for the financial functions it is due to perform in the framework of the implementation of the Sapard. @ 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 696{2003 (OJ L 99, 17.4.2003, p. 24). () €(2000) 3321 final. and sectorial programme/project management capacity, financial control procedures and structures regarding public finance, as provided for in Article 12(2) of Regu- lation (EC) No 1266/1999, the Commission adopted Decision 2001/461/EC of 15 June 2001 conferring management of aid on implementing agencies for pre- accession measures in agriculture and rural development in the Republic of Estonia in the pre-accession period (%) with regard to certain measures provided for in the Sapard. (5)  The Commission has since undertaken a further analysis under Article 12(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 in respect of measure 6 ‘renovation and development of villages' (hereinafter measure 6) as provided for in the Sapard. The Commission considers that, also with regard to that measure, the Republic of Estonia complies with the provisions of Articles 4 to 6 and of the Annex 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 (°) and with the minimum conditions set out in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999. (6) It is therefore appropriate to waive the ex ante approval requirement provided for in Article 12(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 and to confer, with regard to measure 6, on the Agricultural Registers and Information Board, and on the National Fund in the Republic of Estonia, the management of aid on a decentralised basis. (7)  However, since the verifications carried out by the Commission for measure 6 are based on a system that is not yet fully operational with regard to all relevant elements, it is appropriate to confer the management of the Sapard on the Agricultural Registers and Information Board, and on the National Fund, on a provisional basis, according to Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2222/ 2000. () OJ L 162, 19.6.2001, p. 19. () OJ L 253, 7.10.2000, p. 5. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 188/2003 (O] L 27, 1.2.2003, p. 14).