02/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption of the report by German Social Democrat Erika Mann, the European Parliament approved, with a few technical amendments, the draft regulation concerning the implementation of projects aimed at promoting cooperation and trade relations between the EU and the industrialised countries of North America, the Far East and Australasia. The proposal aims to create a legal and budgetary framework (with an annual indicative allocation of EUR 15.6 million) to allow the EU to contribute to the promotion of exports towards these countries, although the Member States remain mainly responsible for this kind of action. The Parliament insists on this last point. It also requests that application of the regulation be limited in time (until 31 December 2005), and the Commission will have to present, by September 2003 at the latest, new proposals on the basis of experience gained.