05/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission presented the EU Council of Ministers, on 23 December, with a proposal of decision recommending that financial aid of a maximum of EUR 25 million should be granted to Albania, out of which 16 million would be in the form of donations and 9 million in loans. The aim is to help the country meet its external financing needs mainly by strengthening its reserves and through budgetary support. The Commission proposal aims to replace the current Community macrofinancial aid regime in Tirana (governed by 1999 decision 282/EC) which is no longer fully adjusted to he recent economic and political developments in Albania. (Text of the proposal: http: //europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/lip/latest/doc/2003/com2003_0834en01.doc).