The European Commission has decided on 29 September 2004 to replace the existing range of financial instruments for the delivery of external assistance with a simpler, more efficient framework. Instead of the current wide range of geographical and thematic instruments that has grown up in an ad-hoc manner over time, the new framework will comprise six instruments only, four of them new. The four new instruments are: an instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, a European Neighbourhood and Partnership instrument, a Development Cooperation and Economic Cooperation instrument, and an instrument for stability. Two existing instruments, for Humanitarian Aid, and for Macro Financial Assistance are not in need of modification, and will be maintained.
At present Community assistance and cooperation is delivered through a range of regional instruments, for example CARDS, TACIS, MEDA, and a substantial number of thematic instruments, for example the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights. In the Mediterraneanand Middle Eastalone, co operation and assistance are managed through no less than 13 regulations. All these Regulations have significant differences in their programming and implementation procedures. Managing the Community’s programmes on the basis of such a mixed and complex set of instruments, in an efficient and coordinated way, has become an increasingly difficult task. The framework set out in this Communication radically reduces these differences.
The Pre Accession Instrument will cover the candidate countries (Turkeyand Croatia) and the potential candidate countries (the Western Balkans). It replaces existing instruments PHARE, ISPA, SAPARD, CARDS as well as a number of other regulations.
The European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument will cover third countries participating in the European Neighbourhood Policy i.e. the countries of the south and eastern Mediterranean, Ukraine, Moldovaand Belarus, and the countries of the southern Caucasus, thus replacing MEDA and part of TACIS. This instrument will also support the EU’s strategic partnership with Russia. A specific and innovative feature of the instrument is its cross-border co-operation component, that brings together regions of Member States with neighbouring countries sharing a common border. For more information:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/world/enp/index_en.htm
The Development Cooperation and Economic Cooperation Instrumentwill cover all countries territories and regions that are not eligible for assistance under either the Pre-Accession instrument or the European Neighbourhood and Partnership instrument (replacing ALA, EDF, etc.- Based on the assumption that the budgetisation of the European Development Fund (EDF), proposed by the Commission to the Council, is accepted)
The Instrument for Stabilityis a new instrument to tackle crises and instability in third countries and address trans-border challenges including nuclear safety and non-proliferation, the fight against trafficking, organised crime and terrorism.
The Humanitarian Aid instrument and Macro Financial Assistance will remain unchanged except that all Food Aid of a humanitarian nature will be included under Humanitarian Aid instead of being dealt with under a separate Regulation.
Further information can be found in the “Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament on the Instruments for External Assistance under the Future Financial Perspective 2007-2013”.
Source: European Commission
