Decision No 3/2000 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers

of 15 December 2000

on the adoption of specific financial measures to ensure the continuity of certain activities of the 8th EDF before the entry into force of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement

(2001/30/EC)

THE ACP-EC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS,

Having regard to the Fourth ACP-EC Convention, as amended by the Agreement signed in Mauritius on 4 November 1995, and in particular Article 282(5) thereof,

Having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000,

Whereas:

(1) With Decision No 1/2000, the ACP-EC Council of Ministers on 27 July 2000 adopted transitional measures for the period from 2 August 2000 until the ratification of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, envisaging the anticipated application of certain provisions of the Partnership Agreement as well as the continued application of certain provisions of the Fourth Lomé Convention as revised by the Agreement signed in Mauritius on 4 November 1995. Article 2 of that Decision indicates that the provisions of the Lomé Convention, regarding the ACP-EC Council of Ministers' power of decision on the use of unallocated resources from the 6th, 7th and 8th EDFs, remain applicable.

(2) Following the mid-term review of national indicative programmes, carried out in accordance with Article 282 of the Lomé Convention, supplementary resources should be allocated to the indicative programmes of certain countries and regions that have performed well in terms of the absorption of credits and quality of project implementation, and have entirely, or almost entirely, committed their original allocation.

(3) To ensure the continuation of certain activities, particularly those relating to joint ACP-EC institutions, supplementary resources should be allocated to intra-ACP regional cooperation.

(4) To ensure that the Community continues to support vulnerable refugees in developing countries, supplementary resources should be allocated for actions to aid refugees.

(5) To provide for the continuation of the activities of the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE) and the Centre for the Development of Agriculture (CTA), the necessary funds should be made available to cover the financial requirements of these centres for the 2001 financial year,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

CDE/CTA

1. The following shall be taken from unallocated 8th EDF resources, as an advance on the 9th EDF:

- a maximum of EUR 22 million to finance the CDE budget in 2001,

- a maximum of EUR 12 million to finance the CTA budget in 2001.

2. Any unexpended balances from the funds for the CDE and CTA not used for the 2001 financial year shall be automatically carried over to the 2002 financial year.

Article 2

Supplementary allocations to indicative programmes

EUR 125,6 million shall be taken from unallocated 8th EDF resources, to be added to the initial allocations of the 8th EDF indicative programmes for a number of countries and regions which have achieved satisfactory results and which have entirely or almost entirely committed their original allocations. The criteria for allocation of these resources shall be:

1. an allocation of 100 % of the second instalment as provided for in Article 282(3) of the revised Fourth Lomé Convention.

2. projects for which feasibility studies have already been carried out and which may be presented rapidly for financing.

On the basis of these criteria the Commission shall decide on the exact allocation per country/region.

Article 3

Intra-ACP

An amount of EUR 265 million shall be taken from unallocated 8th EDF resources for intra-ACP regional cooperation. From this amount, EUR 100 million shall be specifically allocated to trade development.

Article 4

Aid to refugees

An amount of EUR 100 million shall be taken from unallocated 8th EDF resources for actions to aid refugees in accordance with Article 72(3)(d) and Article 72(4) of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement.

Article 5

The Commission is requested to take the measures necessary to give effect to this Decision.

Article 6

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its approval.

Done at Brussels, 15 December 2000.

For the ACP-EC Council of Ministers

The President

D. Gillot