Commission to speed up payments to contractors
The Commission has committed itself to improving its payments system, speeding up the process to ensure its financial commitments are met within the 60 day limit set in 1995. Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer has proposed a series of measures to make Commission payments faster. The Reform White Paper of 1995 set a target of cutting payment times to 60 days in 95 per cent of all cases by 2002. Last year only about two thirds of all payments were made within the 60-day limit, owing to a large rise in the number of payment orders to be made. 'Payments ought to be made on time as a matter of course, by the Commission too,' explained Ms Schreyer, presenting the action plan for faster payments before the Commission. 'It is just not acceptable for payments out of the Community budget to take more than 60 days. The Commission has set itself a clear objective of seriously improving matters.' Measures proposed by Ms Schreyer will include simplifying the financial clauses in contracts by, for instance, providing for flat-rate reimbursement of certain costs. The volume of supporting documentation required will be reduced. A central register will be set up to register all incoming invoices, so the date on which an invoice is registered at the Commission can be determined with precision. Where a report on performance of the contracted services is required from the contracting party before the Commission can make the payment, there will in future also be a time limit for accepting the report. Any claim for payment that is not formally objected to will be deemed to be in order. Finally the Commission will create provisions for creditors' claims for interest on late payments in the Financial Regulation and in the standard-form contracts it concludes.