EN OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 29.1.2000 L24/7
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 214/2000
of 24 January 2000
on Community financial contributions to the International Fund for Ireland
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 308 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(
1),
Whereas:
(1)The programmes of the International Fund for Ireland
(hereinafter referred to as ‘the Fund’) encourage cross-border and cross-community cooperation and therebypromote dialogue and reconciliation between national-ists and unionists;
(2)The Fund is an example of successful Anglo-Irishcooperation in promoting reconciliation between thetwo communities and their economic and socialprogress;
(3)ECU15 million a year has been provided from thegeneral budget of the European Communities from1989 until 1995 to support projects of the Fund whichhaveagenuineadditionalimpactintheareasconcerned;
(4)On 31 October 1994 the Council adopted Regulation(EC)No2687/94onCommunityfinancialcontributionsto the International Fund for Ireland(
2) for 1995, 1996
and 1997;
(5)Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2687/94, the amountestablished as part of the budgetary procedure for eachof the years 1995, 1996 and 1997 has been ECU20million;
(6)Pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 2614/97 of 15December 1997 on Community financial contributionsto the International Fund for Ireland(
3), the amount
established as part of the budgetary procedure for eachof the years 1998 and 1999 has been ECU17 million;
(7)The assessments carried out in accordance with Articles5and7ofRegulation(EC)No2614/97haveconfirmedthat the Community's contribution has been used inaccordance with the objectives of the Fund and thecriterialaiddowninArticles2and3ofthesaidRegula-tion;
(8)Regulation (EC) No 2614/97 expires on 31 December1999;
(9)ThepeaceprocessinNorthernIrelandrequiresacontin-uation of Community support beyond that date;(10)At its meeting in Berlin on 24 to 25 March 1999, theEuropean Council decided that support for the Fundwould be continued for three more years (2000 to2002)totheamountofEUR 15millionforeachoftheyears2000,2001and2002expressedincurrentvalues;
(11)At the said meeting, the European Council decided thatthe PEACE programme in Northern Ireland and theBorder Counties of Ireland would be continued for fiveyears (2000 to 2004), with an amount of EUR 500million;
(12)The Community contribution should be used by theFund in accordance with the Agreement under which itwas established and in priority for projects that areconsistent with the activities funded by the PEACEprogramme for the period 2000 to 2004;
(13)Suchsupportshouldtaketheformoffinancialcontribu-tions for a period of three more years;
(14)It is vital to ensure proper coordination between theFund's activities and those financed under Communitystructural policies;
(15)Fund assistance will be effective only in so far as it isadditional to, and not a substitute for, other public orprivate expenditure;
(16)An assessment reviewing the Fund's prerformance andthe need for further support will be drawn up before 1April 2001;
(17)This support will contribute to reinforcing the solidartiybetween the Member States and between their peoples;
(18)The Treaty provides no powers other than those inArticle 308 for the adoption of this Regulation,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Subject to the annual budget procedure, and in the framework
oftheEUR 45millionfortheperiod2000to2002,anannualcontribution of EUR 15 million shall be made to the fund, foreach of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, in accordance withthe second subparagraph of point 34 of the Interinstitutionalagreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament,the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline andimprovement of the budgetary procedure(
4). (1) Opinion of the European Parliament delivered on 17 December
1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
(2) OJ L 286, 5.11.1994, p. 5.
(3) OJ L 353, 24.12.1997, p. 5. (4) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.
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Article 2
ThecontributionshallbeusedbytheFundinaccordancewith
the Agreement under which it was established, in priority forprojects of a cross-border or cross-community nature, inparticular those consistent with the objectives of the PEACEprogramme and other operations supported by the StructuralFunds.
The contributions shall be used in such a way that they have
genunineadditionalimpactontheareasconcernedandshouldnot therefore be used as a substitute for other public andprivate expenditure.
The Commission shall be represented by an observer at the
Board meetings of the Fund.
Article 3
The Commission shall ensure coordination between the Fund's
activities and those financed by Community structural policies.The Commission shall keep the relevant monitoring commit-tees informed of the activities of the Fund.
Article 4
The Commission shall, in cooperation with the board of the
Fund,determineappropriatepublicityandinformationproced-uresinordertopublicisetheCommunity'sparticipationintheprojects financed by the Fund.
Article 5
The Commission shall administer the contributions.The Commission shall submit not later than 1 April 2001 a
report to the Budgetary Authority assessing the need forcontinuing contributions beyond 2002. This report will cover,
inter alia, the following matters:
— a survey of the Fund's activities,— a list of projects which have received aid,— an assessment of the nature and impact of the interven-
tions,inrespect,inparticular,oftheobjectivesoftheFundand the criteria laid down in the first and second subpara-graphs of Article 2 and in Article 3,
— an annex containing the results of the verifications and
controls carried out by the Commission representative orits agents, particularly as regards the modalities of thecoordination of the Fund's activities with those carried outunder Community structural policies.
Article 6
The annual contribution shall be paid in two parts as follows:
— anadvanceof80%willbepaidoveraftertheChairmanof
theBoardoftheFundhassignedtheCommission'srelevantundertaking relating to grants and has undertaken to usethe contribution in accordance with the provisions ofArticle 2 and after the Commission has received andaccepted the annual activity report of the fund and auditedaccounts in respect of the previous year,
— theremaining20%willbepaidoveraftertheCommission
has received and accepted the annual activity report of theFund and audited accounts relating to the year for whichthe Community contribution was made.
Article 7
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2000 and
shall remain in force until 31 December 2002.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 24 January 2000.
For the Council
The President
J. GAMA