Guidelines for implementing the PHARE programme
The European Commission, DG IA, has recently published guidelines for the implementation of the PHARE programme on economic aid, in the candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Separate guidelines will be issued for the PHARE countries of Albania and the former Yugoslavia (except Slovenia), who have not applied to join the Union, and whose PHARE activities do not therefore focus on accession. The guidelines begin with an introduction to the PHARE programme and a description of its evolution. This is followed by a section entitled "PHARE: the main financial instrument for accession" which describes the programme in the context of accession as its fundamental objective for the candidate countries. The new programming framework is also described and within this context the Accession Partnerships, as well as the multiannual, financial, cross-border programmes and the multi-beneficiary aspects to PHARE programming are also outlined. The two main priorities for the programme are also discussed, the first being institution building and the second relating to the need to support investment in the adoption of Community legislation, involving the adaptation of enterprises and infrastructure to Community norms. The final two sections of the guidelines discuss mechanisms and procedures and the conditions for the availability of funds.