ZAGREB, May 9 (Hina) - Croatia is expecting to receive 61 million euros from the CARDS programme this year, an assistant of the finance minister said at a news conference in Zagreb on Friday.
ZAGREB, May 9 (Hina) - Croatia is expecting to receive 61 million
euros from the CARDS programme this year, an assistant of the
finance minister said at a news conference in Zagreb on Friday. #L#
For 2002, Croatia was given 59 million euros within CARDS
(Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and
Stabilisation) programme, and Zagreb is allowed to run seven
projects, worth EUR7.5 million, on its own, Assistant Minister
Tihomir Domazet said at a news conference held on the occasion of
Europe Day. Those projects are from the ministries of health,
agriculture, economy, education and the Employment Office.
According to Domazet, an agreement on CARDS programmes for this
year, worth some EUR61 million, may soon be signed.
Croatia is one of the rare EU non-members and those which are still
not officially candidates for EU membership that are allowed to
manage funds from the CARDS programme on their own.
The memorandum on the issue, called the Memorandum of Understanding
between the European Commission and the Government of Croatia on
the Establishment of a Central Finance & Contracting Unit, was
signed last February. It enabled Croatia to get powers for the jobs
within the CARDS programme on a decentralised basis so that part of
the management and responsibilities in the announcement of bids and
conclusion of contracts, financed by the EU, were transferred to
Zagreb.
The CARDS is an instrument of technical and financial assistance of
the EU for south-eastern European states covered by the
Stabilisation and Association Process.