Brussels, 19/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 19 January, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission signed an agreement to implement a technical assistance programme for EU candidates and potential candidates. The aim of the programme will be to strengthen macro-and micro-prudential supervision in the Western Balkans and in Turkey. Financed by the European Union, the programme will last for two years and cost €2.65 million.
Within the framework of the programme, the ECB and national central banks of the euro area will organise a technical assistance programme for the benefit of the central banks and supervisory authorities of Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Turkey, Serbia and Kosovo, under UN Security Council Resolution 1244. To this end, the ECB will solicit the involvement of a number of partner institutions such as the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the Committee of European Banking Supervisors, the Centre of Excellence in Finance, the European Banking Federation, the European Parliament, the Financial Stability Institute, the International Monetary Fund, the Joint Vienna Institute and the World Bank.
In the course of 2010, the ECB, together with the 14 participating euro area national central banks and in cooperation with the above-mentioned institutions, will organise an intensive regional training programme for some 150 core supervisors from the beneficiary institutions.
By the end of the year, and following up on the regional training programme, the ECB will support the implementation of specific national measures - to be defined in agreement with international financial institutions, partner central banks and beneficiaries. In 2011, the ECB will implement some region-wide technical simulations on home-host cooperation, including some with EU institutions. (V.L.B./transl.jl)