Completion of project implementation occurs when the objectives have been achieved and all activities completed within the deadline set by the contract. In practice, this means the handover of the works or delivery, achieving the measurable indicators at the declared values, payment of all expenditure, and submission of the final payment request together with the final monitoring report. Failure to achieve the indicators leads to a reduction of the contribution even if the expenditure was properly incurred, which is why the state of the indicators is monitored on an ongoing basis, not only at the end. The day of completion marks the start of the sustainability period, with separate obligations including subsequent monitoring reports and a ban on transferring assets. The documentation needs to be archived for the entire set period, which extends several years beyond the implementation itself. The completion deadline can, in justified cases, be extended by an amendment, which must be requested before it expires.
See also: Follow-up monitoring report, Archiving of project documentation.
