EURO 60 MILLION FROM CARDS PROGRAMME FOR CROATIA IN 2002

ZAGREB, Dec 12 (Hina) - Croatia will receive Euro 60 million of assistance through the CARDS programme intended for reforms in 2002, Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac said Wednesday, after meeting the UN Mission for the implementation of the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) Programme. The CARDS programme is an instrument of technical and financial assistance to countries of South-Eastern Europe involved in the process of stabilisation and association with the EU. The countries include Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, Albania and Macedonia. The European Union has set aside Euro 4.65 billion for this purpose for the period between 2000 and 2006. The EU Commission introduced the CARDS framework plan of assistance to countries in the stabilisation and association process for the period until 2004 at a meeting of the Stability Pact in Bucharest in October. The EU intends to allocate Euro 197 million for regional cooperation which is an important part of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. It is expected that, for the same time period, Euro 194 million would be allocated for Croatia, 147.5 million for Albania, 198 million for Bosnia, 680 million for Serbia, additional 270 million for Kosovo, and Euro 130.5 million for Macedonia. A total of Euro 117 million of funds intended for regional cooperation are intended for the advancement of the work of border services. The funds will be distributed to countries covered by the CARDS programme. Croatia should receive Euro 60 million from the CARDS programme for 2001. The Committee for CARDS in July approved Euro 23.2 million for a return of refugees. The remaining Euro 36.8 million are aimed at supporting the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, that is, the interim agreement to be put in force as of January 2002. Croatia drafted a list of priorities in line with those of the EU, including the development of human resources, the reaching of EU industrial standards, the rehabilitation of energy infrastructure, the reform in judiciary and asylum policy, the advancement of the border services' work, the reform of state management, the harmonisation of legislation with the EU in the areas of intellectual ownership and market competition, the adjustment of the statistics system and the strengthening of the civil society. (hina) np sb