CARDS and TACIS Implementation of EC Assistance to the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia Per Brix Knudsen Director European Commission EuropeAid Co-operation Office

Thursday, 21 March 2002,Brussels

Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 1

I. Introduction

 

CARDS

= Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation 2000 - 2006 to Albania, BiH, Croatia, Fyrom and FRY

TACIS

= Technical Assistance to the Community of Independent States(13) since 1991 Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 2

II.CARDS - EC Assistance to the Balkans

  With the Council Regulation (EC) n° 2666/2000 of 5 December 2002, the existing Community assistance (Phare, Obnova) was expanded and redirected to adjust it to the European Union’s political objectives for the Balkans >

The new programme CARDS (2000-2006) replaces Phare and Obnova Wider objective

: to support the participation of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yougoslavia and the Former Yougoslavian Republic of Macedonia in the

Stabilisation and Association Process, SAP

Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 3

SAP

 Stabilisation and Association Process is the cornerstone of the EU’s policy to the region. It seeks to promote stability within the region whilst also facilitating closer association with the EU. Through the SAP, the EU has created a framework of new contractual relationship, the

Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA)

Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 4

CARDS Annual Programmes Who is doing what?

    

CSP

: for each of the Balkan countries, as well as the region as a whole, a Country/Regional

Strategy Paper

provides a strategic framework for the assistance.

CSP is prepared by

DG RELEX

CSP sets out EU-co-operation objectives, policy response and priority fields

MIP

: the Multiannual Indicative Programme included in the CSP highlights programme objectives, expected results and conditionality in the priority fields 2002-2006 Based on the CSP and the MIP,

EuropeAid Office HQ and Delegation prepare the Annual Programmes

Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 5

CARDS Areas of Co-operation

 Priorities of the Stabilisation and Association process (i.a.Justice and Home Affairs issues, strengthening of public administration, internal market-related areas, environment, …) Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 6

CARDS Budget

 Total:

EURO 4 650 million

has been allocated to the implementation of the CARDS Programme for the period 2000-2006 Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 7

Past EC Assistance to the Western Balkans: since 1991, 6,1 billion euro     

Overview EU Assistance in € Mio 1999-2001 2001 2002 Albania 1,098 37,5 44,9 BiH 2,271,2 105,23 71,9 427,058 60,0 59,0

     

Croatia FRY FYROM Regional 1,888,96 430 452,33 320,6 54,5 41,5 43,5

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Management of the assistance

   The CARDS National Programmes are managed by the European Commission Delegations and by the European Agency for Reconstruction.

The Cards Regional Programme is managed by the European Commission Headquarters in Brussels Tempus (Higher Education) and Customs Programmes are managed by the Headquarters Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 9

III. TACIS

  Technical Assistance to 13 countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Armenia, Azebaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 10

TACIS - A new regulation   Replaces the former legal basis: (Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1279/96, which expired on 31.12.1999.

The new regulation covers the years

2000-2006

(Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 99/2000 of 29.12.1999

Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 11

TACIS Areas of Co-operation        Institutional, legal and administrative reform Private sector and economic reform Social consequences of transition Development of infrastructure networks Environmental protection and natural resources Rural economy (Nuclear Safety) Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 12

PCA

  Partnership and Co-operation Agreements (in force with 9 countries) = Legal framework setting out the political, economic and trade relationships between the EU and the country concerned Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 13

TACIS Programming Cycle       TACIS funding is allocated through: National Country Programmes, which include Indicative Programmes(valid 3-4 years) Annual Action Programmes Regional Programmes Small projects programmes: to address very specific tasks (trade regulation, co-operation in higher education, encouraging EU investment) Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 14

Tender opportunities and Calls for Proposals

 http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/ tender/index_en.htm

Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 15

Budget 2002



TACIS: 449 990 000 Euro



CARDS: 665 000 000 Euro

Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 16

Eligibility for CARDS

    · the

EU Member States

· the

recipient States

of the

Cards

programme: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and FYROM (5 States) · the

recipient States

of the

Phare

programme (same as above) · the following States of South East Europe:

Turkey

,

Cyprus

and

Malta

(3 States) Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 17

Eligibility for TACIS

    

Contracts financed by budgetary commitments of 2000 onwards

(Council Regulation No 99/2000 of 29 December 1999) · the

EU Member States

· the

recipient States

of the

Tacis

programme (same as above) · the

recipient States

of the

Phare

programme (same as above) · On a

case by case basis

, participation of natural and legal persons of the

Mediterranean Partners

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Contact European Commission

 EuropeAid Co-operation Office  Directorate A  Rue de la Loi 41, 1049 Brussels  [email protected]

Europe Aid Co-operation Office, Directorate A 19