Brussels, 01/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission on Tuesday adopted without debate a communication to improve cross-border co-operation between the EU and its "new neighbours" after enlargement: Romania, Bulgaria, the Balkans, Mediterranean countries, Russia, the Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. It does not issue new funds but, initially, co-ordinates existing resources for more joint projects in four specific areas (including the promotion of economic and social development). In the longer term, the Commission is considering the creation of a single "neighbourhood instrument" for all neighbours of the EU. This communication, a joint initiative of Commissioners Chris Patten (external relations), Michel Barnier (regional policy) and Günter Verheugen (enlargement), is an addition to the Commission's communication on "new neighbours" (EUROPE of 13 March, p.10).
The first stage is to launch new neighbourhood programmes from 2004. These will allow better co-ordination of existing Community instruments (INTERREG, PHARE-CBC, TACIS-CBC, CARDS, MEDA) to help achieve common projects, currently slowed down by red tape. These programmes allow for the harmonisation and simplification of selection, monitoring and assessment procedures for joint projects, allocating them to a single authority. The Commission plans that under the existing instruments and current financial perspectives, 955 million EUR could be allocated for these neighbourhood policies (700 million from INTERREG, 75 million under TACIS, 45 million from MEDA and 90 million from PHARE).
However, if these programmes are to be launched in 2004, the Commission will have to: - amend the INTERREG programmes to take account of these new programmes and include the regions of France, Spain, Italy and Greece, which are eligible for co-operation with the Mediterranean partners; - adopt, in autumn 2003, the provisional programme for TACIS CBC 2004-2006 which will include the changes needed; - allocate specific funds for the neighbourhood programmes under CARDS's multi-annual indicative regional programme for 2004-2006 and under the multi-annual MEDA programme for 2004-2006; - include the neighbourhood programme in preparation for the PHARE-CBC programmes for 2004-2006 for borders Bulgaria and Romania share with the Balkans and the new neighbours to the east.
After 2007, the Commission plans to create a single "new neighbourhood instrument" applicable to all regions covered by these new programmes, and replacing all existing instruments. It will help to develop cross-border and regional co-operation, fulfilling the objectives of external policy and economic and social cohesion. However, there are several legal and budgetary issues to be resolved before this kind of instrument can be brought in. The Commission will therefore make a proposal before the end of 2003 for guidelines for the next financial perspectives, and, in the light of these perspectives and of the third report on cohesion, it will present more detailed proposals on this new instrument.