ISPA approves 14 environment and transport projects for the CEECs
The management committee for the European Union's instrument for structural policies for pre-accession (ISPA) has recently approved 14 projects in the field of environment and transport in the Central and Eastern European candidate countries. This follows the committee's approval of four other projects last June. The beneficiary countries can begin implementing the new projects as soon as Michel Barnier, the European Commissioner for Regional policy, gives them his formal approval. ISPA, along with PHARE and SAPARD, is one of the three Community instruments for financial assistance to the Central and Eastern European countries. It supports infrastructure projects in the fields of environment and transport with an annual budget of 1040 million euro for the period 2000 to 2006. 'More than 40 per cent of the budget available this year for the new instrument for structural policies for pre-accession is now ready for approval,' said Commissioner Barnier. 'These decisions are the outcome of an excellent partnership with the authorities in the candidate countries, The projects will help the candidate countries in their preparations to join the Union and to promote the economic and social cohesion before the enlargement.' The total value of the 14 newly approved projects is 1250 million euro, 825 million euro of which is funded by ISPA. Of this, approximately 470 million euro will be committed on ISPA's 2000 budget. A further 80 projects are lining up for assistance in 2000. All the projects are co-financed by the beneficiary countries. In addition, the development of most of these projects involved either the European Investment Bank or the European Bank for reconstruction and development. The majority of the projects in the environment sector concern the improvement of wastewater treatment, but there are also projects in the waste management sector. In the transport sector, a balance has been struck between road rehabilitation projects and rail improvements. One airport reconstruction project in Sofia, Bulgaria, has also been approved.