Brussels, 21/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - The new Regulation for Tacis, the EU's technical aid programme for the former members of the USSR and Mongolia, entered into force on January 21. Adopted by the Member States last December 29 (two days before the expiration of the previous judicial basis), this new Regulation covers the period 2000-2006 during which the EU foresees provided all the beneficiary countries (Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Byelorussia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia) a global amount of up to EUR 3.138 billion.
The Commissioner responsible for External Relations Chris Patten was pleased with the entry into force of the new regulation, asserting that it enabled the EU to construct a "new more close and constructive partnership" with the States issued from the former USSR.
The Regulation introduces new aspect to the Tacis programme: a) It heavily reduces the number of priorities (to better target the efforts and financial means); b) it creates a better link between the objectives and priorities of the Partnership and Co-operation Agreements (PCA) that the EU has concluded with many Tacis beneficiary countries; c) it further aims to better support the projects in the fields of nuclear security, etc. For further information on the contents and the objectives of the new regulation see EUROPE of 7 January, p. 6)