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Contenuto archiviato il 2023-03-27

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Regulation (EEC, Euratom) concerning the provision of technical assistance to economic reform and recovery in the independent States of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia, 1993-1995

 
On the basis of a mandate from the European Council, meeting in Rome in December 1990, the European Commission established a programme of technical assistance (Council Regulation No 2157/91 of 15 July 1991) to back the steps taken by the Soviet authorities to bring about the reform and recovery of the Soviet economy. The breakup of the Soviet Union delayed the process of implementation and the 1992 programme approach was adjusted to take account of the new situation. The programme is now continued for another three years.

Assistance shall be concentrated on sectors and selected geographical areas where it can play a central role and serve as an example in support of the reform process. The beneficiary States are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.
To assist economic reform and recovery in the independent States of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia.
Priority areas:

- Human resources development:
. Training including manpower training;
. Restructuring of public administration;
. Employment services and social security advice;
. Strengthening of the civic society;
. Policy and macro-economic advice;
. Legal assistance including approximation of legislation;

- Enterprise restructuring and development:
. Support in the form of technical assistance for development of small and medium sized enterprises;
. Conversion of defence related industries;
. Restructuring and privatization;
. Financial services;

- Infrastructures:
. Transport;
. Telecommunications;

- Energy, including nuclear safety;

- Food production, processing and distribution.
The Commission is responsible for the implementation of the programme and is assisted by a committee composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission, known as the 'TACIS Committee'. The Commission, together with the Member States, ensures the effective coordination of the technical assistance efforts undertaken in the beneficiary States by the Community and individual Member States on the basis of the information supplied by the Member States.

The beneficiary States shall benefit from TACIS in so far as they do not benefit from financial and technical assistance pursuant to Regulation (EEC) No 443/92. The level and intensity of assistance shall take into account the extent and progress of the reform efforts. Technical assistance will be provided for measures aimed at bringing about the transition to a market economy and thereby reinforcing democracy. The programme will also cover reasonable costs of supplies required in support of the implementation of the technical assistance. In particular cases, such as nuclear safety programmes, a significant supply element may be included. The assistance shall also cover costs related to the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the operations, as well as costs concerning information.

Operations to be financed are selected taking account, inter alia, of the recipients' preferences and on the basis of an assessment of their effectiveness in achieving the objectives aimed at by Community assistance. Technical cooperation is implemented on a decentralized basis. The final recipients of Community assistance are closely involved in the evaluation and execution of the projects.

Assistance takes the form of grants, which are released in tranches as projects materialize. Supply contracts shall be awarded by means of open invitations to tender. Services contracts shall, as a general rule, be awarded by restricted invitations to tender and by private treaty for operations up to ECU 300000. Participation in invitations to tender and contracts are open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons in the Member States and the beneficiary States. In the case of co-financing, the participation of third countries concerned in invitations to tender and contracts may be authorized by the Commission, but on a case by case basis. Participation of undertakings from third countries shall only be acceptable if reciprocity is granted.

Indicative programmes shall be established for each of the beneficiary States without this being a multiannual budget commitment. They shall define the principal objectives of and guidelines for Community assistance. Before their establishment, the Commission shall inform the TACIS Committee on the priorities identified with the beneficiary States. Action programmes based on these indicative programmes shall be adopted each year including a list of the main projects to be financed. The content of the programmes shall be determined in detail so as to provide the Member States with the relevant information to enable the Committee to deliver its opinion.

At the end of each financial year, the Commission shall present a progress report on the implementation of the programme, including an evaluation of the technical assistance already provided, which is addressed to the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee.

The amount of Community funding for the implementation of the programme in the financial year 1993 is ECU 510 million.