ZAGREB, July 12 (Hina)- Croatia and the European Union on Friday signed two agreements making operational the technical-financial assistance programme CARDS, which, it was mutually estimated, was as a great contribution to Croatia's
further integration with Europe.
ZAGREB, July 12 (Hina)- Croatia and the European Union on Friday
signed two agreements making operational the technical-financial
assistance programme CARDS, which, it was mutually estimated, was
as a great contribution to Croatia's further integration with
Europe. #L#
The financial agreement for the annual CARDS 2001 programme (worth
60 million euros) and the Agreement on National CARDS Programme
Priorities for 2002-2004 (worth 189 million euros) were signed by
Croatia's European Integration Minister Neven Mimica and Guy
Legras and Giorgio Bonacci of the European Commission.
Legras is the director-general of the foreign affairs directorate
of the European Commission, while Bonacci is the director-general
of EuropeAid, an EC service that administers EU technical
assistance. The CARDS programme is an instrument of technical-
financial assistance of the EU for Southeast European countries
encompassed by the Stabilisation and Association Process.
After the signing, Mimica said that all procedures for making the
CARDS programme operational had been completed and that tenders
would be announced and beneficiaries nominated soon.
Giorgio Bonacci said that the signing of the CARDS programme with
Croatia in 2001 had been preceded by great work on preparing and
making operational a series of projects. He added that the 2002
programme was nearing completion and that a financial agreement for
CARDS 2002 would be ready in September. Bonacci said he was
confident that the reinforcement of the EC Delegation to Zagreb and
continuing training for the Croatian state administration would
enable the implementation of the projects.
The CARDS national programme for 2002-2004 defines co-operation
between the EC and Croatia and funds required for the
implementation of projects and programmes in the areas of
democratic stabilisation (48 million euros); economic and social
development (52 million euros); judiciary and internal affairs (43
million euros); improving the competence of the state
administration (37 million euros); and the protection of the
environment and natural resources (9 million euros).
The financial agreement regulates the financing of the CARDS 2001
programme, with a total amount of 60 million euros, of which 23.2
million has been earmarked for refugee returns and economic revival
in war-torn regions, while the other 36.8 million has been
earmarked to fulfil obligations from the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement in the context of economic and social
development in Croatia. Fields covered by EU assistance include
education, labour market, state administration reforms, reforms in
the judiciary and interior, political asylum reforms, integrated
management of borders, statistics, intellectual property, and
market competition.
(hina) sp rml