Brussels, 29/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has authorized Commissioner Franz Fischler to sign Multi-annual and Annual Agreements that will allocate 520 million euro to the ten candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe, under aid to pre-accession in favour of agriculture and rural development (SAPARD programme). The national programmes have all been approved, the last being with Romania (see EUROPE of 23 November, p.8).
The Multi-annual Financing Agreements lay down the detailed provisions for delegating the management of the rural development programmes to the candidate countries, covering the necessary financial control rules. This is the first time in the history of the EU that external aid will be managed on a fully decentralised basis, requiring enormous legislative and administrative effort on both sides.
EUROPE recalls that this programme must support, over the period 2000-2006, the agricultural sector in the candidate countries, while helping them to gradually adjust to the Common Agricultural Policy (see also EUROPE of 19 September, p.7). These financial agreements have still to be ratified by the national parliaments of the candidate countries. The Commission must also give its approval to the bodies in each receiver country that will be responsible for managing the programme and making payments. It will not be before these two stages are over that Commissioner Fischler will be able to sign the annual financial agreement allowing for effective implementation of the programme in each country.
Commenting on this decision, Mr Fischler said: "The ground that has been covered over the past year is remarkable. The Commission is going as fast as possible. Setting up a fraud-proof structure may appear cumbersome, but the time invested now will bear fruit over the coming years. SAPARD is an important catalyst for change. Today we have taken a further step towards committing the EU funds earmarked for the candidate countries".