IP/03/575
Brussels, 25 April 2003 - The
European Commission has adopted its Annual Programme for the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia. In 2003, within the Community Assistance for Reconstruction,
Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) Programme, a total of € 38.5 million
will be spent in assisting the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in
its reform and modernisation efforts. The aim is to support the institutional
and administrative achievements in the field of democracy, assist the economic
reconstruction and help rebuilding a civil society. Since 1991, the European
Union has been the largest assistance donor to the Western Balkans.
fYROM Priorities Within The Programme For The Former Yugoslav Republic In 2003 (€ 38.5 Million)
Economic and Social Development (€ 20 million)
Implementation of local infrastructure projects (€ 9 million)
Implementation of local infrastructure projects, training and capacity building of local government institutions.
TEMPUS higher education programme (€ 3 million)
The Tempus III programme will continue to develop joint inter-university projects and individual mobility.
Development of national 'Standardisation, Metrology, Accreditation and Quality Validation' institutes (€2.75 million)
Supply of equipment to the institutes for 'Standardisation, Metrology, Accreditation and Quality Validation' and related training.
Human resource development in enterprises (€1.5 million)
Improve the level of competence of managers in the business community in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia through improved access to training and services.
Creation of a 'Public Procurement Office' (€1.5 million)
Assistance will be provided to the Ministry of Finance in order to support the establishment of an autonomous Public Procurement Office.
Vocational education and training (€1 million)
Technical experts will undertake an analysis of the reforms still required and draw up an action plan.
National Animal Identification System (€ 0.75 million)
Assist with completion of the establishment of an integrated animal identification, herd registration and movement control system for cattle.
Agricultural policy and legal approximation unit (€ 0.5 million)
Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture to undertake objective policy analysis and continue to take forward the legislative approximation process.
Justice and Home Affairs (€ 12.5 million)
Strengthening control of the Green Border (€ 2.8 million)
Enhance the operational capacity of government border services and develop a new organisational structure for the border police service and operational capacities in compliance with European Union standards.
Reform of Judiciary (€ 2.5 million)
Further development of the administrative and processing capacity of the courts and prosecutors.
Strengthening the Customs Administration (€ 2 million)
Provide technical assistance and equipment with a view to ensuring the comprehensive sustainable modernisation and development of the Customs Authority.
Border Control Points: Development and implementation of communication and document processing systems (€ 1.2 million)
Provide technical assistance, equipment supply and training to develop local data collection and enable the transfer of data between border crossing points and the Ministry of Interior, and also the processing and analysis of such data.
Immigration and asylum (€ 1 million)
Further development of immigration & asylum strategy, legislation and action plan.
Continued capacity development for combating money laundering (€ 1 million)
Strengthen the capacity of the Directorate Against Money Laundering and of financial institutions to enforce the new Law on Money Laundering.
Development of capacity to combat drugs-related criminal activity (€ 1 million)
Assistance to the Ministries of Health, Interior and Justice and the Inter-ministerial Commission in charge of drafting the law on narcotics, including providing equipment.
Development of police training and education systems (€ 1 million)
Assist in the establishment and implementation of a framework for institutionalised and systematic provision of police training, in accordance with accepted international standards.
Democracy and the Rule of Law (€ 3 million)
Promotion of inter-ethnic relations (€ 1.8 million)
Reduce ethnic stereotyping in fYR Macedonia and promote an increased level of mutual understanding and knowledge between different ethnic groups.
Civil society development (€ 1.2 million)
Provide technical assistance for the establishment of a national network for lobbying and advocacy building amongst Civil Society Organisations. Specific Civil Society organisations following a multi-ethnic approach will be targeted.
Environment and natural resources (€ 1 million)
Improvement of management of trans-boundary water resources (€ 1 million)
Assess causes and level of water quality degradation of the lake Dojran and establish a joint catchment area and river management plan in the Vardar River.
Others
This component will be used to cover currently unforeseeable programme related expenditures, as a General Technical Assistance Facility (0.8 million) and as a reserve (€ 1.2 million).
The Western Balkans - Background information
Since 1991, the European Commission has committed € 6.1 billion of EC funding to Balkans, not counting bilateral contributions by EU Member States.
In 1999, the European Union developed a framework policy for relations with the countries of the Western Balkans the Stabilisation and Association process (SAP) with the aim promoting stability in the region whilst facilitating closer association with the EU.
The CARDS Programme supports the Balkan countries in this process. For the period 2000 - 2006, € 4.650 billion have been programmed to assist the five countries in progressing towards European Integration. The priorities and actions of the Annual CARDS Programmes are identified in the EC's 2002 - 2006 Strategy Papers for the region and reflect those areas in which the EU has a particular knowledge and comparative advantage as a donor and thus a particular contribution to make. Country Strategy Papers were introduced in 2001 as part of a wider programme of Commission reforms in the field of External Assistance. Their purpose is to improve the coherence of the policy toward third countries. CSPs and Annual Programmes are developed in collaboration with national governments, Member States, other donors, and where possible, with representatives of civil society.
For more information please refer to:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/see/fyrom/index.htm
http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/cards/index_en.htm
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations