1994R1734 — EN — 02.01.1999 — 002.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B ►M2 COUNCILREGULATION(EC)No1734/94
of11July1994
onfinancialandtechnical cooperationwiththeWestBankandtheGazaStrip ◄
(OJ L 182, 16.7.1994, p. 4)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Council Regulation (EC) No 2824/98 of 21 December 1998 L 351 13 29.12.1998
►M2Council Regulation (EC) No 2840/98 of 21 December 1998 L 354 14 30.12.1998
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COUNCILREGULATION(EC)No1734/94
of11July1994
onfinancialandtechnicalcooperationwiththeWestBankandthe
GazaStrip
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, andin particular Article 130w thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 189c of
the Treaty (
1),
Whereas, having regard to the greater requirements that will be gener-
ated in the territoriesof the Wes t Bank of the Jordan and the GazaStrip, hereinafter referred to asthe ‘Occupied Territories ’, asa res ultof recent developments in the Middle East peace process, new
measures in the form of economic and social cooperation should be
implemented in the said Territories in order to foster sustainableeconomic and social development, taking account of the experienceacquired by the Community asa major provider of aid to the Pales ti-nian people;
Whereasto thisend there s hould be a five-year programme (1994 to
1998); whereasthisprogramme s hould be implemented with financingfrom the Community budget in the form of grants;
Whereas it is necessary to lay down the detailed arrangements and
rulesfor adminis tering the operationsfinanced from the budget,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. The Community shall implement financial and technical coopera-
tion with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under a five-year period(1999 to 2003) with the aim of aiding their achievement of sustainableeconomic, political and social development. Should new financial
perspectives be adopted for the period after 2000, the amount of this
cooperation shall be determined in accordance with the financialperspectives and conditional upon the budgetary authority deciding theamount in the annual budgetary procedure.
2. Within two yearsand not later than 31 December 2000, the
Council shall review this Regulation on the basis of an independent
evaluation of the programmesasenvis aged in Article 6. Thisreviewshall also take into account recent developments in the area and mightalso consider bringing the Regulation into line with Council Regulation(EC) No 1488/96 of 23 July 1996 on financial and technical measures
to accompany (MEDA) the reform of economic and social structures in
the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (
2).
Article 2
1. The priority areasfor projectsand meas uresimplemented under
the programme referred to in Article 1 shall be:1994R1734 — EN — 02.01.1999 — 002.001 — 2
(1) Opinion of the European Parliament of 11 February 1994 (OJ No C 61, 28.
2. 1994). Council common position of 4 March 1994 (OJ No C 137, 19. 5.
1994, p. 85) and Decision of the European Parliament of 4 May 1994 (not
yet published in the Official Journal).
(2) OJ L 189, 30.7.1996, p. 1. Regulation asamended by Regulation (EC)
No 780/98 (OJ L 113, 15.4.1998, p. 3).▼M2
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infrastructure, production, urban and rural development, education,
health, the environment, services, foreign trade, the setting-up andimprovement of institutions necessary for the proper working of the
public administration and the advancement of democracy and human
rights►
M2and the development of civil society ◄.
2. Community aid may be given for investment projects, feasibility
studies, technical assistance and training, and for temporary support forthe recurrent costs of the Palestinian public administration.
3. Community financing for projectsand operationscovered by this
Regulation shall be in the form of grants or interest rate subsidies onlending by the Bank out of its own resources. The subsidy rate shallbe 3 %.
The said projects and operations shall aim inter alia at the promotion
of employment and the creation of employment by improving the
social services and combating poverty.
4. In order to ensure consistency of cooperation and to improve
complementarity between operations, Member States, the Commissionand the European Investment Bank, hereafter referred to as the ‘Bank’shall exchange any relevant information on financing that they envi-
sage granting.
Possibilities for co-financing shall be sought when information is
exchanged.
5. Member States, the Commission and the Bank shall also commu-
nicate, within the framework of the Committee referred to in Article 5,information in their possession on other bilateral and multilateral aidfor►
M2the West Bank and the Gaza Strip ◄.
6. At least once a year, the Commission and the Bank shall send the
Member Statesthe information collected from the adminis tration of►
M2the West Bank and the Gaza Strip ◄concerning the sectors
and projectsalready known which could be s upported under thisRegu-lation.
Article 3
The aid referred to in thisRegulation may be combined with the Bank
financing from own resources and may be used for co-financing with
Member States, non-member countries in the region, multilateral bodies
or►
M2the West Bank and the Gaza Strip ◄themselves. Wherever
possible, the Community nature of the aid shall be preserved.
Article 4
1. Financing decisions on projects and operations under this Regula-
tion exceeding ECU 2 000 000 other than those relating to interest-ratesubsidies on bank loans shall be adopted in accordance with the proce-
dure laid down in Article 5.
2. Financing decisions on overall allocations for technical coopera-
tion, training and trade promotion shall be adopted in accordance withthe procedure laid down in Article 5. Within an overall allocation, theCommission shall adopt financing decisions not exceedingECU 2 000 000.
The Committee referred to in Article 5 shall be informed systemati-
cally and promptly, and in any event before the next meeting, of
financing decisions for measures not involving more thanECU 2 000 000.
3. Decisions amending financing decisions adopted in accordance
with the procedure laid down in Article 5 shall be taken by theCommission where they do not entail any substantial amendments oradditional commitmentsin exces sof 20 % of the original commitment.1994R1734 — EN — 02.01.1999 — 002.001 — 3
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The Commission shall inform the Committee referred to in Article 5
immediately of any such decisions.
4. Financing decisions on interest rate subsidies shall be adopted in
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 12 of Regulation(EC) No 1488/96 (
1).
Article 5
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the MED Committee set up
pursuant to Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1488/96.
2. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the
Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall
deliver itsopinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairmanmay lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinionshall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of theTreaty in the case of the decisions which the Council is required to
adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representa-
tivesof the Member Stateswithin the Committee s hall be weighted inthe manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.
3. (a) The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged if they are
in accordance with the opinion of the Committee;
(b) if the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion
of the Committee, or if no opinion is delivered, the Commissionshall, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating tothe measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualifiedmajority.
If within three monthsfrom the date on which the matter was
referred to the Council, the Council hasnot acted, the propos edmeasures shall be adopted by the Commission.
Article 6
1. The Commission shall examine the state of implementation of
cooperation under thisRegulation and s hall report annually in writingto the European Parliament and the Council.
2. The Commission shall evaluate the main projects completed in
order to establish whether the objectives fixed during the appraisal ofthese projects have been achieved and to establish guidelines formaking future aid more effective. These evaluation reports shall besent to the Member States and to the European Parliament.
Article 7
ThisRegulation s hall enter into force on the third day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities .
ThisRegulation s hall be binding in itsentirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1994R1734 — EN — 02.01.1999 — 002.001 — 4
(1) OJ L 189, 30.7.1996, p. 1. Regulation asamended by Regulation (EC)
No 780/98 (OJ L 113, 15.4.1998, p. 3).▼M1
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