Brussels, 12/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - Eurochambres, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has launched CAPE III, its programme for preparing enterprises of Central and Eastern Europe for EU membership. This programme, funded by the European Commission (grant of 1.5 million euro until July 2004), will help the chambers of commerce and industry of candidate countries prepare for membership. Christoph Leitl, Eurochambres President, stresses in a press release that support for the companies of future Member States is one of the association's priorities over the next two years. As, he says, companies, and civil society in general, need preparing "if we want their support of this formidable process", that is the EU's enlargement eastwards.
The CAPE III programme consists of three components: the CAPE survey on the state of preparedness of the future Member States, on the basis of a detailed "self-assessment": reports will be published in May 2003 and May 2004; - the CAPE Audit of the acquis taken on board by companies of the future members, on the basis of an evaluation by outside experts; - organisation of two training programmes, or "Central European Academies", in June 2003 and June 2004.