PURPOSE : to enable countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, as well as Russia, particularly those with action plans or roadmaps under implementation, to benefit from assistance through TAIEX.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2006/62/EC enabling countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, as well as Russia, to benefit from the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) Programme

CONTENT : The purpose of this Decision is to enable countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, as well as Russia, particularly those with action plans or roadmaps under implementation, to benefit from assistance through TAIEX, which will provide targeted technical assistance to aid the partner countries in understanding and drafting legislation related to

the action plans and to help them with implementation and enforcement.

Council Regulation 1605/2002/EC (the Financial Regulation) allows for the implementation of the Community budget through centralised indirect management and sets specific requirements for implementation, provided this is authorised by the basic act of the programme. Since a harmonised implementation of the assistance through TAIEX is necessary, this Decision follows the same approach as Council Regulation 3906/89/EEC (Phare), Council Regulation 2666/2000/EC (CARDS) and Council Regulation 2500/2001/EC concerning pre-accession financial assistance for Turkey.

Activities authorised by this Decision will be financed from budget heading 19 06 01 ‘Assistance to partner countries in eastern Europe and central Asia’, and the associated budget heading for administrative costs 19 01 04 07, and budget heading 19 08 02 01 MEDA (measures to accompany the reforms to the economic and social structures in the Mediterranean non-member countries) and the associated budget heading for administrative costs 19 01 04 06.

Decision 2006/62
OJ L 032 04.02.2006, p. 0080-0081

SP(2006)0053

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Paolo COSTA (ADLE, IT) and inserted two amendments into the Commission’s text:

- Due regard shall be paid to the need to avoid the disproportionate allocation of funding to any individual country, to the detriment of the legitimate needs of other partners.

-The Commission shall forward relevant evaluations to the European Parliament for consideration. Those evaluations shall address the effectiveness, transparency and accountability both of management structures and of funded activities.

T6-0493/2005

Results of vote in Parliament

A6-0388/2005

A6-0388/2005

The committee adopted the report by Cecilia MALMSTRÖM (ALDE, SE) approving the proposal under the consultation procedure, subject to a few amendments:

- it should be clearly stated that one of the principles underlying the activities supported by the ENPI is the development and consolidation of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;

- to ensure that Russia - which is included as a partner country in the ENPI - does not absorb the bulk of the available funding at the expense of others, the committee added a new clause to Article 2 stipulating that "due regard shall be paid to the need to avoid the disproportionate allocation of funding to any individual country, to the detriment of the legitimate needs of other partners";

- a new Article 2a laid down the requirement for the Commission to forward relevant evaluations to Parliament for consideration. The evaluations should address "the effectiveness, transparency and accountability, both of management structures and of funded activities".

PURPOSE : to enable countries eligible for the future European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) to benefit from assistance through the Office for Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX).

PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision.

CONTENT : TAIEX was set up in 1995 to provide short-term, targeted technical assistance to the Central and Eastern European candidate countries. The initiative was conceived as a 'one stop shop' to assist the countries in understanding and drafting EU-related legislation and to help them with implementation and enforcement. TAIEX provides five main services: documentation, information and advice on legislation; workshops and seminars; study visits to the European Commission and Member States; expertise to advise the beneficiary countries and, finally, databases on the deployment and results of technical assistance provided.

The European Neighbourhood Policy’s (ENP) objective is to share the benefits of the EU’s 2004 enlargement with neighbouring countries and to use some of the instruments and experience gained during the enlargement process to bring partner countries closer to the EU, aiming at gradual economic integration and a deepening of political integration. Both the ENP Strategy Paper and the ENP Action Plans offer to extend TAIEX to ENP partner countries.

While Russia is not officially part of the ENP, the recently adopted road maps for the creation of the four Common Spaces between the EU and Russia set out objectives similar to those of the ENP, namely to intensify cooperation and to pursue regulatory convergence and legislative approximation between the EU and Russia. In addition, Russia will also be eligible for funding under the future European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI).

The purpose of the proposal is to enable ENP partner countries, in particular those with ENP Action Plans under implementation as well as Russia, to have access to TAIEX in the same way as the countries covered by the PHARE, CARDS and Turkey regulations. TAIEX is implemented in line with article 54 (2) of the Financial Regulation, which allows for the implementation of the Community budget through centralised indirect management subject to specific requirements. For implementation by national public-sector bodies, the Commission may entrust tasks of public authority, and in particular budget implementation tasks to national public-sector bodies or bodies governed by private law with a public-service mission providing adequate financial guarantees and complying with the conditions provided for in the implementing arrangements. However, such bodies may be entrusted with implementation tasks only if the basic act of the programme or action concerned provides for the possibility of delegation and lays down the criteria for the selection of the bodies concerned. Neither Council Regulation 1488/1996/EC concerning financial and technical measures to accompany the reform of economic and social structures in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (MEDA) nor Council Regulation 99/2000/EC concerning the provision of assistance to the partner States in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Tacis) has such a provision. However, centralised indirect management has already been established for the PHARE and CARDS Programmes. A proposal has also been made for the pre-accession financial assistance for Turkey. The proposed new Instrument for Pre Accession Assistance (IPA) and the proposed new European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) will also authorise centralised indirect management.

Therefore, the proposal provides a temporary solution and an appropriate legal basis until TAIEX actions can be funded under the ENPI from 2007 onwards. An amount of EUR 4 million, to be taken equally from the respective regional budget lines, will be sufficient.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS :

- Budget lines: 19.06.01 Assistance to partner countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the associated budget line for administrative costs 19.01.04.07; 9.08.02.01 MEDA (measures to accompany the reforms to the economic and social structures in the Mediterranean non-member countries) and the associated budget line for administrative costs 19.01.04.06.

- Duration of the action and of the financial impact: 2005/2006 for commitments, 2005-2007 for implementation.

- Summary of commitment appropriations and payment appropriations for budget line 19.06.01:

- Operational expenditure: total commitment and payment appropriations: EUR 1.6 million.

- Administrative expenditure within reference amount: EUR 0.4 million.

- Total reference amount: EUR 2 million.

- Summary of commitment appropriations and payment appropriations for budget line 19.08.02:

- Operational expenditure: total commitment and payment appropriations: EUR 1.6 million

- Administrative expenditure within reference amount: EUR 0.4 million.

- Total reference amount: EUR 2 million.

- Total number of human resources: 1.5 in 2005, 8 in 2006 and 3 in 2007.

COM(2005)0321
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE : to enable countries eligible for the future European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) to benefit from assistance through the Office for Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX).

PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision.

CONTENT : TAIEX was set up in 1995 to provide short-term, targeted technical assistance to the Central and Eastern European candidate countries. The initiative was conceived as a 'one stop shop' to assist the countries in understanding and drafting EU-related legislation and to help them with implementation and enforcement. TAIEX provides five main services: documentation, information and advice on legislation; workshops and seminars; study visits to the European Commission and Member States; expertise to advise the beneficiary countries and, finally, databases on the deployment and results of technical assistance provided.

The European Neighbourhood Policy’s (ENP) objective is to share the benefits of the EU’s 2004 enlargement with neighbouring countries and to use some of the instruments and experience gained during the enlargement process to bring partner countries closer to the EU, aiming at gradual economic integration and a deepening of political integration. Both the ENP Strategy Paper and the ENP Action Plans offer to extend TAIEX to ENP partner countries.

While Russia is not officially part of the ENP, the recently adopted road maps for the creation of the four Common Spaces between the EU and Russia set out objectives similar to those of the ENP, namely to intensify cooperation and to pursue regulatory convergence and legislative approximation between the EU and Russia. In addition, Russia will also be eligible for funding under the future European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI).

The purpose of the proposal is to enable ENP partner countries, in particular those with ENP Action Plans under implementation as well as Russia, to have access to TAIEX in the same way as the countries covered by the PHARE, CARDS and Turkey regulations. TAIEX is implemented in line with article 54 (2) of the Financial Regulation, which allows for the implementation of the Community budget through centralised indirect management subject to specific requirements. For implementation by national public-sector bodies, the Commission may entrust tasks of public authority, and in particular budget implementation tasks to national public-sector bodies or bodies governed by private law with a public-service mission providing adequate financial guarantees and complying with the conditions provided for in the implementing arrangements. However, such bodies may be entrusted with implementation tasks only if the basic act of the programme or action concerned provides for the possibility of delegation and lays down the criteria for the selection of the bodies concerned. Neither Council Regulation 1488/1996/EC concerning financial and technical measures to accompany the reform of economic and social structures in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (MEDA) nor Council Regulation 99/2000/EC concerning the provision of assistance to the partner States in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Tacis) has such a provision. However, centralised indirect management has already been established for the PHARE and CARDS Programmes. A proposal has also been made for the pre-accession financial assistance for Turkey. The proposed new Instrument for Pre Accession Assistance (IPA) and the proposed new European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) will also authorise centralised indirect management.

Therefore, the proposal provides a temporary solution and an appropriate legal basis until TAIEX actions can be funded under the ENPI from 2007 onwards. An amount of EUR 4 million, to be taken equally from the respective regional budget lines, will be sufficient.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS :

- Budget lines: 19.06.01 Assistance to partner countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the associated budget line for administrative costs 19.01.04.07; 9.08.02.01 MEDA (measures to accompany the reforms to the economic and social structures in the Mediterranean non-member countries) and the associated budget line for administrative costs 19.01.04.06.

- Duration of the action and of the financial impact: 2005/2006 for commitments, 2005-2007 for implementation.

- Summary of commitment appropriations and payment appropriations for budget line 19.06.01:

- Operational expenditure: total commitment and payment appropriations: EUR 1.6 million.

- Administrative expenditure within reference amount: EUR 0.4 million.

- Total reference amount: EUR 2 million.

- Summary of commitment appropriations and payment appropriations for budget line 19.08.02:

- Operational expenditure: total commitment and payment appropriations: EUR 1.6 million

- Administrative expenditure within reference amount: EUR 0.4 million.

- Total reference amount: EUR 2 million.

- Total number of human resources: 1.5 in 2005, 8 in 2006 and 3 in 2007.

COM(2005)0321
EUR-Lex