Brussels, 22/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - EuropeAid, the cooperation office that now from now on ensure the management of a major part of the EU's external aid, will see the day next 1 January in a Communication adopted this Thursday, the Commission gave the go ahead to the creation of this new body, which marks a significant step in the radical reform of its services, decided last May to increase the effectiveness of aid to third countries, accelerate the payments ad enhance the political role devolved to the Commission in terms of external relations (see EUROPE of 15/16 May, pages 8 and 9).
The single administrative structure responsible for managing the whole cycle of projects, from their identification to their assessment passing by the follow up of their implementation, EuropeAid will base itself on the present common service for external relations (CSR) to manage 80% of the EU's external aid programmes that allocate, each year, more than EUR 9 billion to the financing of projects throughout the world.
The Tacis programmes in favour of Central and Eastern European Countries, the MEDA programme in favour of Mediterranean countries, as well as cooperation programmes with the countries from the ACP group (Asia, Caribbean and Pacific) financed by the European Development Fund (EDF) in the framework of the Cotonou agreement, will enter into the scope of competence of EuropeAid.
On the other hand, the aid paid in the framework of the Phare programme and humanitarian actions financed by ECHO (according to the financial regulations and the procedures specified by the Community humanitarian office) will continue to be managed separately, respectively by the Directorate General for External Relations and the Directorate General for Development, which also retains the competence of the multiannual programming of funds concerning the Phare programme, the separation compared to EuropeAid is justified by the fact that the subsidies to accession candidate countries are becoming increasingly closer to the EU internal regional aid actions.
On condition of a decision from the budgetary authority, EuropeAid should have a workforce of 1,200 people at the end of 2001, staff of which half will work in the Commission delegations in the beneficiary countries when the transfer of responsibilities towards the local offices has been carried out, to bring together the aid from beneficiaries, improve the coordination on the field and increase the quality of aid. In 2001, 21 of the 128 existing delegations should thus see themselves given new responsibilities. At the end of 2003, all the delegations should manage the external aid programmes in the countries under their competence.
EuropeAid will be placed under the authority of the Administrative Council chaired by Commissioner Chris Patten (External Relations). Commissioner Poul Nielson (Development and Humanitarian Aid) will be the general administrator. Commissioner Gunter Verheugen (Enlargement), Pascal Lamy (trade) and Pedro Solbes (Economic and Monetary affairs) will also be members of the Administrative Council.