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1. For the purposes of Article 63(3) of the Financial Regulation, the Member State shall identify for each programme a managing authority and an audit authority. Where a Member State entrusts the accounting function to a body other than the managing authority in accordance with Article 72(2) of this Regulation, the body concerned shall also be identified as a programme authority. Those same authorities may be responsible for more than one programme.

2. The audit authority shall be a public authority. Audit work may be carried out by a public or private body other than the audit authority under its responsibility. The audit authority and any such body carrying out audit work under the responsibility of the audit authority shall be functionally independent from the auditees.

3. The managing authority may identify one or more intermediate bodies to carry out certain tasks under its responsibility. Arrangements between the managing authority and intermediate bodies shall be recorded in writing.

4. Member States shall ensure that the principle of separation of functions between and within the programme authorities is respected.

5. Where a programme provides, in line with its objectives, support from the ERDF or the ESF+ to a programme co-funded by Horizon Europe, as referred to in point (b) of Article 10(1) of the Horizon Europe Regulation, the body implementing the programme co-funded by Horizon Europe shall be identified as an intermediate body by the managing authority of the relevant programme, in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article.

6. The Member State, at its own initiative, may set up a coordination body to liaise with and provide information to the Commission and to coordinate activities of the programme authorities in that Member State.