Bruxelas, 29.10.2004

COM(2004) 735 final

RELATÓRIO DA COMISSÃO

RELATÓRIO ANUAL DO INSTRUMENTO ESTRUTURAL DE PRÉ-ADESÃO (ISPA) 2003

ÍNDICE

1. Orçamento ISPA 5

2. Financiamento de projectos 5

2.1. Novos projectos ISPA 5

2.2. Projectos financiados entre 2000-2003 6

2.3. Pagamentos 7

3. Assistência técnica 8

3.1. Modalidades e prestação da assistência técnica 8

3.2. Assistência técnica prestada por iniciativa dos países beneficiários 8

3.3. Assistência técnica prestada por iniciativa da Comissão 8

4. Gestão e implementação 9

4.1. Acompanhamento dos projectos 9

4.2. Gestão e controlo financeiro 9

4.3. EDIS 9

4.4. Avaliação dos riscos 10

4.5. Conclusões do Tribunal de Contas Europeu 10

4.6. Parceiros de co-financiamento – BEI, BERD e NIB 10

5. Contribuição para as políticas comunitárias 10

5.1. Concursos públicos 10

5.2. Política ambiental 11

5.3. Política dos transportes: da TINA às novas orientações RTE-T 11

6. Coordenação entre os instrumentos de pré-adesão 12

TECHNICAL ANNEXES

1. New ISPA projects 19

2. Commitments for environment 19

3. Commitments for transport 20

4. Projects funded during 2000-2003 20

5. Payments 21

6. Summary tables 22

7. Forms and delivery of technical assistance 25

8. technical assistance at the initiative of the beneficiary country 26

9. Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission 29

10. Project monitoring 35

11. EDIS 36

12. Risk assessment 37

13. European Court of Auditors findings 38

14. Co-financing partners – EIB, EBRD and NIB 38

15. Public procurement 40

16. Competition policy 40

17. Environment policy 41

18. Transport policy: from TINA towards new TEN-T guidelines 42

Bulgaria 48

Czech Republic 50

Estonia 52

Hungary 53

Latvia 54

Lithuania 55

Poland 57

Romania 59

Slovakia 61

Slovenia 64

Preâmbulo

O presente relatório anual sobre as actividades do Instrumento Estrutural de Pré-adesão (ISPA) abrange o ano civil 2003, fornecendo informações relativas ao quarto ano de execução do ISPA.

Para uma série de países beneficiários, 2003 foi igualmente o último ano de execução do ISPA, após o que passaram a poder beneficiar dos instrumentos da política de coesão da Comunidade. O relatório demonstra, a este respeito, a eficácia e a importância do ISPA enquanto instrumento de preparação dos países beneficiários [1]para a sua adesão à UE. O ISPA continuará a desempenhar a sua missão nos países que ainda não aderiram à União Europeia.

O formato do presente relatório reflecte o disposto no artigo 12º do Regulamento ISPA[2] As alterações introduzidas destinam-se a ter em conta as observações formuladas pelo Parlamento Europeu, pelo Comité Económico e Social e pelo Comité das Regiões sobre os relatórios anuais anteriores.

Espera-se que o presente relatório possa igualmente ser um documento de referência útil para todos os interessados em promover a coesão económica e social nos países candidatos da Europa central, tendo em vista a sua adesão, bem como nos países que aderiram à UE em Maio de 2004.

Resumo

1. ORÇAMENTO ISPA

O orçamento do ISPA provém de duas rubricas orçamentais: B7-020 e B7-020A. A primeira rubrica inclui os meios necessários ao co-financiamento de projectos (medidas)[3] a desenvolver, nos países candidatos, nos domínios do ambiente e dos transportes, bem como à prestação de assistência técnica (AT) tendo em vista a identificação e a preparação de projectos. São igualmente financiadas a partir desta rubrica as medidas destinadas a ajudar os países beneficiários a reforçarem as suas capacidades administrativas e institucionais, nomeadamente durante o processo de transição para uma gestão inteiramente descentralizada (EDIS). A rubrica B7-020A prevê o financiamento de acções por iniciativa da Comissão. Em 2003 foram afectados ao instrumento ISPA, a partir do orçamento da Comissão, 1 129 milhões de euros e transferidos 8,35 milhões de euros da rubrica B7-020A para a rubrica B7-020.

Quadro 1: Orçamento ISPA 2003

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2. FINANCIAMENTO DE PROJECTOS

2.1. Novos projectos ISPA

Em 2003 a Comissão adoptou 75 novas medidas ISPA que correspondem a 60 projectos de investimento em infra-estruturas ambientais (principalmente nos subsectores da água, das águas residuais e dos resíduos), e a 15 em infra-estruturas de transportes (projectos ferroviários e rodoviários). No âmbito desses projectos, a Comissão aprovou 23 novas medidas de assistência técnica (17 no domínio do ambiente e 6 no domínio dos transportes) tendo em vista a preparação dos mesmos. A contribuição total do ISPA para os projectos financiados em 2003 elevou-se, assim, a cerca de 1, 25 mil milhões de euros, montante que corresponde a uma taxa de assistência média de 68,5% do custo total admissível dos projectos, que é de 1,82 mil milhões de euros. O saldo restante foi financiado pelos países candidatos a partir dos seus recursos nacionais a nível central, regional, e/ou local, e pelas instituições financeiras internacionais (IFI). Cerca de 65% dos recursos do ISPA foram afectados ao sector do ambiente.

Quadro 2: Decisões sobre os novos projectos para 2003

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Nota: Os montantes indicados na coluna “decisões sobre projectos” reflectem a contribuição total do ISPA para os projectos, enquanto os montantes da coluna “Autorizações” representam o total das autorizações orçamentais anuais (em 2003)

2.2. Projectos financiados entre 2000-2003

Desde o início do ISPA, a Comissão atribuiu subvenções a 324 a projectos, dos quais 212 no sector do ambiente (incluindo uma ajuda de emergência na sequência das cheias), 102 no sector dos transportes e 10 correspondentes a medidas de assistência técnica tendo em vista uma execução descentralização (EDIS)[4]. A contribuição total do ISPA elevou-se a 7,03 mil milhões de euros, o que representa 65,2% de um total de custos de investimento elegíveis de 10,78 mil milhões de euros. Assim, durante os primeiros quatro anos de funcionamento do ISPA, a Comissão afectou mais de 90% dos fundos reservados a este instrumento para o período 2000-2006. No final de 2003 haviam sido autorizadas 61,7% das contribuições aprovadas do ISPA, tendo as autorizações sido distribuídas de uma forma equitativa entre os sectores do ambiente e dos transportes.

Quadro 3: Decisões sobre projectos relativas a 2000-2003

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2.3. Pagamentos

Verificaram-se progressos notáveis no que respeita à implementação das medidas ISPA. Se bem que, inicialmente, os atrasos registados a nível dos concursos e da adjudicação dos contratos tenham dificultado o pagamento dos segundos adiantamentos e dos pedidos de reembolso, a situação melhorou bastante. Assim, o total dos pagamentos efectuados a título do ISPA elevou-se, em 2003, a cerca 424 milhões de euros, o que representa um aumento de 14% relativamente a 2002 (388 milhões de euros).

No final do período 2000-2003 haviam sido pagos mais de mil milhões de euros, montante que corresponde a cerca de 25% das autorizações orçamentais para este período.

Quadro 4: Pagamentos efectuados em 2003 (em euros)

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3. ASSISTÊNCIA TÉCNICA

3.1. Modalidades e prestação da assistência técnica

O recurso a medidas de assistência técnica revelou ser essencial para garantir o êxito da programação e da execução dos projectos financiados a título do ISPA. A assistência técnica centrou-se na preparação e na implementação dos projectos, na consolidação institucional subjacente a estes últimos e, mais recentemente, na organização estrutural de alguns serviços públicos nos sectores de intervenção do ISPA, que permitirá reforçar a sustentabilidade da implementação dos projectos.

3.2. Assistência técnica prestada por iniciativa dos países beneficiários

Em 2003 a Comissão aprovou 23 medidas de assistência técnica à preparação de projectos. O custo total elegível dessas medidas era de 112 milhões de euros e a contribuição do ISPA elevou-se a 84,8 milhões de euros. Muitas dessas medidas incluíam a reestruturação dos serviços públicos locais (beneficiário final) tendo em vista a sua modernização a nível de gestão e funcionamento. Para além disso, a maior parte dos países beneficiários do ISPA que aderiram à UE em 2004 utilizaram os fundos afectados à assistência técnica para financiar a realização de estudos preparatórios de projectos para os quais será posteriormente solicitado um financiamento a partir do Fundo de Coesão. Desde 2000 foram aprovadas 62 medidas de assistência técnica para a preparação de projectos que representam um custo total elegível de 198,2 milhões de euros, 80% dos quais financiados pelo ISPA.

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Project funding

1. NEW ISPA PROJECTS

In 2003, the Commission adopted 75 new ISPA measures concerning 60 investments in environment infrastructure and 15 in transport infrastructure. Among these projects, the Commission approved 23 new technical assistance (TA) measures for project preparation, 6 of which were for preparing transport projects and 17 for preparing environment projects. As a result, the total ISPA contribution to projects funded in 2003 amounted to €1.25 billion, representing an average grant rate of 68.51% of the total eligible project cost of €1.82 billion. The remainder was financed by the applicant countries from national sources at central, regional, and/or local level, as well as by international financial institutions (IFIs). Nearly 65% of the ISPA contribution was awarded to the environment sector.

Table 2: New ISPA project decisions in 2003

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3. COMMITMENTS FOR TRANSPORT

As in the previous years, ISPA assistance in the transport sector focussed the extension and improvement of the TINA (Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment) network in order to facilitate the connections between the European Union and the candidate countries within the framework of the future trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The major part of the budgetary commitments for transport in 2003 (57%) were made in favour of rail projects, involving primarily the rehabilitation and upgrading of existing infrastructure to EU standards. About 42% of the funding was assigned to road projects including new construction and upgrading to meet EU capacity and safety standards. Combined rail/road projects represented 1.5%.

Table 4: Commitments in 2003 – Transport by sub-sector [10]

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4. PROJECTS FUNDED DURING 2000-2003

Between 2000 and 2003, the Commission adopted a total of 324 projects on the basis of proposals submitted by the beneficiary countries. Of these projects, 212 concerned the environment sector (including one flood relief project), 102 the transport sector, and 10 TA measures for achieving decentralised implementation (EDIS). These interventions correspond to a total eligible investment cost of € 10.78 billion, of which € 7.03 billion or 65.2% is being financed by ISPA from the B7-020 budget line. As a result, the Commission has, in the first four years of ISPA, allocated more than 90% of the funds set aside for ISPA for the period 2000 to 2006.

Table 5: Project decisions in 2000-2003

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8. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AT THE INITIATIVE OF THE BENEFICIARY COUNTRY

Project preparation

TA measures for project preparation have to ensure that beneficiary countries are presenting quality projects -particularly in terms of preparation, management and operation- to the Commission for ISPA funding. They should also facilitate the development of a pipeline of quality projects which is a warrant for the Commission to identify and receive a sufficient number of suitable projects in time. Disposing of a strong project pipeline is not only essential for ISPA, but also for the Cohesion Fund, in particular for those ISPA beneficiary countries that have joined the EU in 2004. Most of these countries have used ISPA TA funds in 2003 to finance preparatory studies for projects that will be submitted for future funding from the Cohesion Fund.

In 2003, the Commission decided on 23 TA measures for project preparation representing a total eligible cost of €112 million with ISPA contributing €84.8 million. Several of these measures included the restructuring of the local utility (final beneficiary) up to modern standards in terms of management and operation which is a pre-condition for considering possible ISPA funding. The total number of TA measures for project preparation approved since 2000 now stands at 62, representing a total eligible cost of €198.2 million of which 80% (€158.9 million) was supported by ISPA.

Decentralisation

EDIS (extended decentralised implementation system) is a process which aims at establishing sound financial management and control systems and procedures in the beneficiary countries. As decisions to grant ISPA support to move along this process had been taken for all for beneficiary countries in 2001 and 2002, there were no new decisions taken in 2003. Details about the EDIS process are provided in the chapter “Management and implementation”.

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As regards the EBRD , the Bank can lend directly to municipalities and utility companies without a sovereign guarantee which adds an element of flexibility to the co-operation with ISPA. However, the number of jointly funded projects with the EBRD differs greatly from sector to sector, from country to country and from year to year. In 2003, the projects concerned were the following:

Table 16: Projects co-financed by the EBRD in 2003

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The NIB has provided loan-financing for one project in Estonia, namely for the reconstruction of the Maardu-Valgejõe section of the E20 Tallinn-Narva motorway.

Contribution to Community policies

15. PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

From the start of ISPA, the fulfilment of legal requirements for sound, fair and transparent public procurement as enshrined in the PRAG has proved to be a major challenge. In many cases, ensuring compliance with EU procurement principles has lead to delays in the implementation of ISPA projects. Commission services –especially the EC Delegations- had to intervene frequently, not only to check that procedures were correctly applied but also to rectify errors, to liaise with dissatisfied bidders, and to explain to implementing agencies how the procedures concerned were to be implemented. Regularly, the quality of the tender documents needed to be enhanced and the evaluation of bids to be repeated, whereas sometimes –the worst cases– tenders needed to be cancelled and re-launched.

The ex-ante approval by the Commission which governs the tendering and contracting of ISPA projects is, therefore, entirely justified. Under this system of approval, local recipients and final beneficiaries are in the role of Contracting authority responsible for project implementation, whereas the Commission endorses each step of the procurement process. It follows that, although the Commission is not a contracting partner, it bears shared responsibility for the procedural correctness of the procurement process (without the Commission’s approval, contracts concluded between beneficiaries and contractors are not valid). This responsibility is entrusted to the EC Delegations in the beneficiary countries.

Meanwhile, training on specific procurement issues has been launched as well as practical tools (guides) been published to carry out tendering and contracting in accordance with national law harmonized according to EU standards (e.g. standard clauses for contracts, standardised templates, guidance documents for national implementing bodies tailored to the particular conditions in each country). As a result, in general, tender documents are better drafted, contracts more consistent, and the management and supervision of works during the implementation phase more professional. However, the experience of 2003 suggests that the strengthening of public procurement systems and procedures in the new Member states should be continued under the Cohesion Fund.

16. COMPETITION POLICY

The ISPA assistance being directed primarily to covering public expenditure -or equivalent- concerning utility projects relating to transport infrastructure or the protection of the environment, this does not generally raise problems of incompatibility with the Community rules on competition. Unless the rules on public procurement are infringed, and provided free access to such infrastructure is guaranteed for all operators meeting the necessary technical and legal conditions, such assistance does not provide specific firms with any special advantage.

However, since it cannot automatically be assumed that certain assistance is not including state aid, Commission services, when examining the applications, assess the compatibility of the measures part-financed by ISPA against Articles 87 and 88 of the EU Treaty.

17. ENVIRONMENT POLICY

During the year 2003, 60 new ISPA projects for environment were approved, 17 of which concerned technical assistance measures for project preparation and for strengthening administrative capacity. These projects represented a total grant amount of € 806 million, the corresponding assisted investment amounting to € 1.25 billion. As in previous years, with a share of more than 75% of the assistance, the water and wastewater sectors benefited most from ISPA.

By providing direct assistance to priority projects for environment, ISPA contributes also to the implementation of environmental policy in the beneficiary countries. Experience gained through project development and implementation has reinforced administrative capacity and accelerated sector reform in the environment sector. In particular, administrative capacity has been strengthened in regard to environmental investment planning and prioritization. Steady progress has also been made in proper implementation of the EIA directive, including aspects related to public consultation. In addition, a pilot project promoted higher quality of public service in public utilities in the waste and water sub-sectors. In these various ways, ISPA has contributed towards significant progress in environmental protection in all of the beneficiary countries. However, problems still exist in relation to the difficulties of environmental authorities in obtaining adequate funding and staffing as well as to a persistent lack of co-ordination between policy fields.

Overall, during the last decade, the state of environment in the beneficiary countries has improved, in particular with regard to air and water pollution reduction: the main air pollutants have declined by 60-80% and toxic metals by 50%, while organic matter pollution of water has decreased by as much as 80%. The percentage of homes and other installations whose effluent is sent to waste water treatment plants doubled compared to the early years of 1990.

The cost of compliance with the investment-heavy environmental acquis for the ten acceding countries was estimated to amount to approximately €50-80 billion. The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive alone requires major investments of around €15 billion. To achieve full implementation, the new Member states will have to spend on average between 2% and 3% of GDP on the environment in the coming years. As current expenditure is generally well below this target, the Structural and Cohesion Funds can play a significant role in overcoming deficiencies in this respect given that, until the end of the current budgetary period in 2006, EU assistance in the environment field will almost treble compared to the period 2000-2003. i.e. some €8 billion, which is more than 10% of the total investment requirements.

It is important also to ensure sufficient funding at national level as new Member states should find their own financial resources in order to meet their obligations. The binding nature of the transition period targets and clear final deadlines for directives for which transition periods were awarded justify reserving adequate financial and human resources for implementation at national level, including for monitoring, inspections, permits and reporting. Anticipated financing should therefore also secure loans from international financial institutions, national budgets and private sector investment. As far as the new Member states are concerned, these will have the opportunity to complete gaps in institution-building in the environment field, notably with twinning and exchange programmes. The EU ' Transition Facility' (€420 million for the period 2004-2006) provides such support to the new Member states in this policy area.

18. TRANSPORT POLICY: FROM TINA TOWARDS NEW TEN-T GUIDELINES

The transport networks in the beneficiary countries, agreed in accordance with TINA (Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment), are constructed around the framework of pan-European corridors. These begin or end, with one exception (Corridor VI), within the territory of the EU-15 and include branches running across the territory of all new Member states -except Cyprus and Malta, for which, as islands, the network focus is on sea routes, ports and airports- and of Bulgaria and Romania. These networks have been used as the planning basis for the national transport strategies for ISPA purposes and, therefore, each ISPA transport project needed to form part of the TINA networks. Similarly, these networks are being used for Cohesion Fund purposes and fulfil a core function in the new Member states’ National Development Plans, which are the programming tool for the use of structural funds from 2004 onwards.

Table 17: ISPA transport projects by pan-European transport corridor (2000-2003)

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Note: Corridor details by project are given in the section Project list (first column)

In April 2003, the maps containing the alignment of the future TEN-T (Trans-European transport network) networks were integrated in the Accession Treaties which amended the TEN-T Guidelines[13] to accommodate the extension of the TEN-T network to the acceding countries. As a consequence, as of May 2004, the new Member states are immediately eligible for Community funding, in particular for TEN-T funds and the Cohesion Fund.

Meanwhile, as new Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T guidelines) were approved by the Council and the Parliament in April 2004, the Community disposes of a legal framework governing the development of the TEN-T network in an enlarged Europe. They include a list of 30 priority projects which are declared to be of European interest and are to be realised with the horizon of 2020. Of these projects, 9 concern axes including the new Member states. The list of projects aims at ensuring modal shift and more sustainable mobility patterns by focussing investments in rail and waterborne transport. Cross-border projects are similarly present as these are typically the most difficult ones to implement. The estimated cost of carrying out the 30 projects is approximately €225 billion. Some 20% of this amount could be raised from the private sector and the rest will have to come from the national and Community budgets, notably within the framework of the financial perspectives after 2006. The total cost of completion of the trans-European transport network, including the projects of common interest not identified as priority projects, will be €600 billion. Required investment in transport infrastructure in the new Member states would amount to € 90 billion by 2015. Implementation of the priority projects should produce time savings for international transport, help to reduce the growing pollution due to transport and contribute to more balanced spatial development. These benefits would boost the growth potential of the enlarged Union between 0.14% and 0.3% of GDP and create up between half a million to one million new jobs according to recent research.

Table 18: ISPA projects relating to the new TEN-T priority projects (2000-2003)

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Co-ordination among pre-accession instruments

As required by the Coordination Regulation[14], the Commission ensures close co-ordination among the three pre-accession instruments, PHARE, SAPARD and ISPA. In line with the provisions of this Regulation, the PHARE Management Committee plays a special role in general co-ordination of the three pre-accession instruments.

Co-ordination with the (PHARE) Joint Monitoring Committee

The Joint Monitoring Committee is responsible for co-ordinating the monitoring of each pre-accession instrument and for assessing the overall progress of EU–funded assistance in the beneficiary countries. The Committee issues recommendations to the ISPA Committee or to the Commission when relevant.

Co-ordination within the Commission

Within the Commission, an inter-services Co-ordination Committee, including representatives from all relevant Commission services (DGs Enlargement, Agriculture, Regional Policy, Budget, Health and Consumer Protection, Legal Service) has met regularly during 2003. The agenda for the meetings in 2003 and early 2004 included financial control and management, stock-taking on moves towards EDIS, issues related to the transition towards the Cohesion and Structural Funds, procurement issues implications of the new Financial Regulation which came into force in January 2003, and allocations of pre-accession funds for Bulgaria and Romania post-2003.

Co-ordination with EC Delegations

Periodic meetings were organised by the Commission services (DGs Enlargement, External Relations and Regional Policy) with the experts in the Delegations responsible for PHARE and ISPA to discuss programming and implementation issues, in particular those related to tendering and contracting.

Communication activities

Early in 2003, a brochure was published containing key information on ISPA projects and events in 2002. The brochure constituted a complement to the ISPA Annual Report of 2002.

In April 2003, DG Regional policy organised the Annual Meeting of ISPA Partners – From ISPA to Cohesion and Structural Funds, details of which were provided in section 8 of the report.

On 6 October 2003, Commissioner Barnier met the ministers responsible for the management of the Structural and Cohesion Funds in the countries acceding the EU in 2004. The Commissioner acknowledged the significant progress made regarding the programming and the creation of administrative capacities. At the same time he underlined the necessity for further efforts, especially concerning the quality of programmes and of the implementing structures. The new Member States can benefit from eligibility from the 1 January 2004 only in case of full alignment with Community legislation before the end of 2003. The ministerial conference was held following the adoption by the Commission in July 2003 of a report on the progress in the fields of regional policy and co-ordination of the structural instruments in the future Member states[15].

In February 2004, a press conference was held to brief journalists on the progress achieved after four years of programming and implementing ISPA. The conference was broadcasted by Europe by Satellite (EbS) and a brochure was published.

The Commission services continued to participate in the NGOs [16] Dialogue project which consists of meetings between Commission officials (predominantly from DG Environment) and representatives of environmental NGOs from Member States and (former) candidate countries. Its objectives were to inform the NGOs of the enlargement process and to enable them to present their opinions on this process to the Commission. The meetings held in 2003 focussed on the implementation of ISPA with particular attention to the transition to the Cohesion Fund and to post-accession.

The ISPA-website was updated regularly with information sheets on projects signed by the Commission, new versions of the Financing Memoranda’s annexes, new brochures on ISPA progress, and documentation on the ISPA Partners meeting.

Country profiles

BULGARIA

In 2003, Bulgaria received a total ISPA commitment allocation of €112.6 million. This was divided between the transport and environment sectors - €39.3 million and €73.3 million respectively. Technical assistance measures accounted for €0.9 million of these commitments. The allocation for Bulgaria represented 10.0% of the overall ISPA budget in 2003. Considering the years 2000–2003, the total amount of decisions in Bulgaria correspond to €615 million, from which the amount of commitments up to date represents €428 million.

Programming

As in 2002 the Minister of Finance took over the role of National ISPA Co-ordinator from the Minister for Regional Development and Public Works, the Ministry of Finance now manages all three pre-accession instruments through the “Management of EU Funds” directorate. An ISPA co-ordination unit has been set up within this directorate.

A total of 5 environmental investment projects (4 in the water and 1 in the waste sector) and 1 technical assistance project were approved for funding by ISPA in 2003. The share of ISPA funds for the environment sector has been substantially increased. Therefore the ratio between the transport and environment currently represents 48% and 52% for period 2000–2003.

The infrastructure projects approved were as follows:

Smoljan Integrated Water project

Varna Integrated Water project

Balchik Integrated Water project

Shoumen Integrated Water project

Kardjali Regional Waste Management Centre

TA for the preparation of a Water Sector Investment Project in Sofia

Up to the end of 2003, total payments of ISPA grants in favour of projects amounted to €61.4 million representing mainly the first instalments of the advances on approved projects. In 2003, payments amounted to €26.4 million.

Implementation

Progress continued to be made during 2003 in preparing for the tendering and contracting of ISPA projects. In the transport sector, tenders were successfully concluded on the Transit Roads Rehabilitation III project. In addition, a number of small technical assistance contracts were let to support the contracting authorities in the tendering process and in the general project preparation. Preparation of the design and tender documents continued on the Plovdiv-Svilengrad rail project. In the environment sector, works tenders were launched in 2003 for all three 2001 projects. Also, all 7 works contracts for the measure “Set up of 6 regional landfills in Bulgaria” were signed.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The ISPA Monitoring Committee met in Borovetz in May and in Plovdiv in November 2003. Attention was drawn to the need to speed up contracting and payments. The Commission stressed the importance of EIA legislation and the role of IFIs in co-financing infrastructure projects. Administrative capacity should be enhanced at all levels of authorities involved and final beneficiaries must be more implicated in project preparation and implementation.

EDIS

ISPA technical assistance finances the first 3 stages of EDIS. The grant was approved in 2002 and amounted to €892.000. In 2003, a total of €357.022 has been paid out.

At its meeting of September 2003, the EDIS working group adopted a revised implementation plan for EDIS which aims at completing the 3 stages by the end of 2005 and at sending the official request for EDIS approval to the Commission by the end of January 2006.

Financial Management and Control

Further audits were carried out by DG Regional Policy into the financial management and control systems of the ISPA implementing agencies. The main findings were sent to the Bulgarian authorities together with recommendations on the improvements needed to meet the requirements of Article 9 of the ISPA Regulation. In April 2003 and in January 2004, the Bulgarian authorities reported on the actions taken to meet the recommendations of the 2002 and 2003 audits.

CZECH REPUBLIC

In 2003, commitments amounting to €75.5 million were made to the Czech Republic, which represented 6.71 % of the annual ISPA budget. Approximately €45.6 million was committed to environment projects, €23.8 million to transport projects and €6.0 million to flooding relief. Technical assistance measures accounted for €1.5 million of these commitments.

Programming

2003 being the last year of ISPA programming in the Czech Republic, particular emphasis was put on the environment sector. The objective was to ensure that the commitments from the budget years 2000-2003 had been shared on an equal basis between the transport and environment sectors. This target was achieved by the end of the year.

Five new projects were adopted in the environment sector, four in the water sector and one in the solid waste sector. The latter project, involving the upgrading of an existing incinerator in the city of Brno in order to respect the standards required by European legislation, was the first application received from the Czech Republic in the solid waste sector. Following the adoption of the National Waste Plan in July 2003, it is anticipated that a number of other projects in the solid waste area will be submitted under the Cohesion Fund.

In the transport sector, an important road project was adopted, covering the completion of the Prague-Dresden motorway by means of support to the final construction stage in the Czech Republic, linking the motorway to the German border. This project is an important part of Trans-European Corridor IV and is also co-financed by ERDF on the German side of the border. In the railway sector, a pilot project for the introduction of ERTMS[17] on the main corridors was approved.

All of the above-mentioned projects will continue to be financed from the Cohesion Fund allocation for the years 2004-2006. Preparations for the Cohesion Fund were also a significant part of 2003 programming activities. Discussions with the Czech authorities on the content of the sector strategy papers, which constitute the Reference Framework for the Cohesion Fund, were substantially completed by the end of 2003. These papers identified the main likely areas of intervention in each sector.

Implementation

In 2003, four service contracts and one works contract were signed in the environment sector. Furthermore, two service contracts were contracted for stage 2 of EDIS.

As the Flooding relief project was handled as a priority, the implementation of all 34 of its sub-projects was finished in 2003. The indicative 50/50 split for the transport and the environment sectors was observed. Within the transport sector, a breakdown of 50% for railway and 50% for road projects was achieved. The measure was considered as being very successful.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Two Monitoring committees were held in 2003, one in Brno and one in Ceske Budejovice. In conjunction with the first committee meeting, a monitoring visit was made to the sewerage improvement project for the city of Brno which was financed from ISPA in 2001 and for which works had started early 2003.

Particular attention was paid during the latter meeting to the need for calls for tender to be published prior to enlargement if they were to follow the PRAG external assistance rules. With the help of the EC Delegation, a detailed timetable was established to help achieve this for all projects.

Co-financing with IFIs

The co-operation with EIB for co-financing of major investments was intensified in 2003. The above-mentioned Prague-Dresden motorway completion is co-financed with an EIB loan and the project was subject to a joint appraisal by the Commission and bank.

In December 2003, the Commission participated in an appraisal mission with the EIB for a major investment in the water sector in the city of Pilsen. The project is part of the 2004 project pipeline for the Cohesion Fund.

EDIS

By the end of 2003, the Czech authorities completed stages 2 and 3 of the EDIS roadmap. The request for EDIS accreditation was however submitted after the November deadline issued by the Commission. Although, as a result, it was not possible to grant EDIS status to the Czech Republic prior to enlargement, the work performed by the Czech authorities should allow the Czech Republic to comply with the management and control requirements of the Cohesion Fund.

Financial Management and Control

An audit of ISPA project expenditure as well as of the management and control systems in place was performed by the audit services of DG Regional policy in October 2003. The audit concluded that the Czech authorities had made significant progress on the establishment of sound management and control systems since the previous audit of 2002. In addition to minor material findings, the audit report pointed to the problematic nature of the Czech procurement system, which was identified as a risk factor for 2004 when, upon enlargement, ex-ante controls by the EC Delegation are removed.

ESTONIA

In 2003, Estonia received a total ISPA commitment allocation of € 30.8 million. This was divided between the transport and environment sectors - € 18.6 million and € 12.2 million respectively. TA measures for transport and environment accounted for € 2.7 million. The allocation for Estonia represented 2.74% of the overall ISPA budget in 2003.

Programming

In the environment sector, 1 investment project and 2 TA measures were approved whereas the transport sector accounted for one investment project and one TA measure. Throughout the period 2000-2003, 16 environment projects -including 4 TA measures- and 9 transport projects -including 5 TA measures- were approved, as well as one TA measure for EDIS.

Implementation

As regards tendering and contracting, a total of 5 services contracts for design, supervision and technical assistance were signed in 2003 (1 in the transport sector, 4 in the environment sector), as well as 3 works contracts (2 in the environment sector, 1 in the transport sector).

Two projects in the environment sector and one project in the transport sector were finalised in 2003.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Monitoring Committee met in April 2003 and January 2004.

Co-financing with IFIs (Please provide name of projects concerned)

Of the measures approved in 2003, one transport project (E20 Tallinn-Narva road, reconstruction Maardu-Valgejõe) involves co-financing from the Nordic Investment Bank and one environment project (Kohtla-Järve area sewage treatment system) involves EIB co-financing. Besides enhancing the leverage of ISPA grants, the EIB, the Nordic Banks (NIB, NEFCO) and Nordic environmental protection agencies also play a substantial role in the provision of technical expertise to help prepare quality ISPA applications.

EDIS

Estonia is well advanced in the EDIS process. In December 2002, the National Authorising Officer has submitted a request for extended decentralisation under Article 12 of the ISPA Regulation. DG REGIO Unit for the Control and audit of the Cohesion fund and ISPA made in 2003 two audit missions on the spot in relation to this request for conferral of EDIS to ISPA projects.

HUNGARY

In 2003, Hungary received a total commitment allocation of € 96.0 million. Of this, € 45.4 million was assigned to transport projects and € 50.5 million to environment projects. Commitments for technical assistance measures in both sectors accounted for € 7.5 million. The allocation for Hungary represented 8.52% of the total ISPA budget for the year.

Programming and Implementation

In 2003, 6 environment projects including 2 TA measures and 1 TA measure for the transport sector were approved. During the period 2000-2003, 25 environment projects of which 6 TA measures were approved and 11 transport projects of which 5 again for technical assistance were approved.

As regards tendering and contracting, all the main contracts were signed for the 2000 environment projects and the majority of the tenders for the 2001 environment projects were launched in 2003. In the transport sector 7 works contracts were signed.

By end 2003, payments made amounted to € 114 million.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Monitoring Committee met in May and October 2003.

Co-financing with IFIs

All projects are co-financed by the European Investment Bank.

EDIS

The stage II -Gap plugging was completed mid-March 2003. The submission to the Commission of the results of the stage III -’Compliance assessment’ was done in October 2003. The Commission decision granting EDIS for the road sector only was taken in March 2004.

Financial Management and Control

No new activities

LATVIA

In 2003, Latvia received a total commitment allocation of € 53.9 million in ISPA assistance. Of this, € 24.6 million was assigned to transport projects, while € 29.3 million went to environment projects. Technical assistance measures accounted for € 12.4 million of these commitments. The overall allocation for Latvia consisted of 4.76% of the total ISPA budget for the year.

Programming

In 2003, 3 environment projects and 1 transport projects were approved. Throughout the period 2000-2003, a total of 25 projects were approved: 13 for environment, 11 for transport and one for EDIS.

In 2003 almost the whole of the available ISPA allocation was committed. The amount of € 0.4 million could not be committed due to the late submission of the project application. The payments made by the end of 2003 amounted to € 21,5 million, representing the first and second advances as well as interim payments.

Implementation

As regards tendering and contracting, a total of 16 services contracts (6 in the transport and 6 in the environment sector and 4 in EDIS), 11 work contracts (3 in the transport and 8 in the environment sector) and 4 supply contracts (1 in the transport and 3 in the environment sector) were signed in 2003

Monitoring and Evaluation

Two ISPA Monitoring Committee meetings were held, one in April 2003 and one in February 2004. Is should be noted that progress in implementing of the projects was improved, especially as regards tendering and contracting.

Co-financing with IFIs

So far, all approved environmental infrastructure measures are co-financed with IFIs: 5 measures with the EIB, 4 measures with the NIB, 5 measures with the NEFCO, one measure with the EBRD and one measure with the World Bank. In the transport sector, the EIB, the EBRD and the World Bank provide parallel co-financing for the ISPA projects.

EDIS

The second stage ‘gap plugging’ of EDIS was completed in the 3rd quarter of 2003. The third stage ‘compliance assessment report’ started in October 2003 and was completed in 2004.

Financial Management and Control

The main findings of the audit of the financial management and control systems were sent in April 2002 to the Latvian authorities with recommendations on improvements necessary to fulfil the criteria set out in Article 9 of the ISPA Regulation.

Lithuania

In 2003, Lithuania received a total commitment allocation of € 53.1 million. This was divided between the transport and environment sectors as follows: € 31.4 million and € 21.7 million respectively. Technical assistance measures accounted for € 4.9 million of these commitments. The allocation for Lithuania represented 4.72% of the overall ISPA budget in 2003.

Programming

In the environment sector, one water project and one technical assistance project was approved through the written procedure and two waste management projects were approved by the ISPA Management Committee.

In 2003, a total of 6 projects were approved. As a result, a total of 17 environment projects, 8 transport projects and 6 TA measures including TA for EDIS were approved for funding by ISPA between 2000 and 2003. Two measures in the transport sector are nearing completion.

The ISPA contribution to projects in 2003 was fully committed and payments made up to the end of the year amounted to € 71,2 million (since the beginning of ISPA). The total value of payment requests made from the beginning of ISPA is currently approximately 29% of the total allocated ISPA assistance.

Implementation

As regards tendering and contracting, a total of 23 services contracts for design, supervision and technical assistance were signed in 2003 (6 in the transport sector (out of which 5 from local funds) and 17 in the environment sector (8 of them are for project preparation under a TA measure) as well as 6 works contracts (3 in the transport sector and 3 in the environment sector). Implementation is speedier in the transport sector than in the environmental sector where tendering procedures are lengthy and market response problematic.

Monitoring and Evaluation

ISPA Monitoring Committee meetings were held in April 2003 and November 2003.

Co-financing with IFIs

The major rail project Corridor IXB Rail – Structures and Sector 5 – is co-financed with the EBRD. For other projects, Lithuania is moving towards self-financing or market loans since the sovereign guarantee often required by IFIs is considered incompatible with the policy on overall indebtedness of the country.

EDIS

Preparation for EDIS continued steadily. Compliance assessment allowed Lithuania to submit EDIS file for the implementing agency in the transport sector to the European Commission on 11 November 2003.

Financial Management and Control

Stage 4 verification audit on whether the management and control system put in place for ISPA meets the criteria included in Council Regulation (EC) NO. 1267/1999 dated 21 June 1999 was carried out on 28-30 January and 9-13 February 2004 and the report was submitted to the Commission on 1 April 2004.

Poland

In 2003, Poland received a commitment total of € 387.942.210. Of this, € 179.312.210 was assigned to environment projects, while € 189.124.250went to transport projects. .Technical assistance measures accounted for € 19.505.750of these commitments. The overall allocation for Poland consisted of 33.5% of the total ISPA budget for the year.

Programming

A total of 11 environment projects and 4 transport projects were approved for ISPA funding in 2003, including 2 transport and 1 environment project TA measures.

For transport, the focus remained on large scale projects on the major routes. Two road projects were approved: construction of the 2nd carriageway of National Road N° 18, section Olszyna-Golnice and construction of A2 motorway section Konin-Strykow; subsection:Emilia-Strykow II as well as two Technical Assistance measures, one for the modernisation of E 30/CE 30 railway line on section Opole-Katowice-Krakow and one for the preparation of projects in the road sector financed within the Cohesion Fund.

In the environment sector, ISPA funding in 2003 was allocated exclusively to drinking water and waste water treatment projects. As in previous years, assistance continued to be targeted on the largest population centres but there is a tendency towards also including smaller centres and rural areas. The projects approved included combined drinking water and waste water projects in Warsaw, Wroclaw and Olsztyn (all by major modification of an existing first phase), Gdynia, Stalowa Wola, Chorzów, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Tarnow, a drinking water supply project in Rzeszów, waste water projects in Sosnowiec, Grudziądz, Podhale, Zywiec and Walbrzych.

Implementation

Level of implementation in both sectors had increased compared with situation in 2002. However, There were strong signs of acceleration in implementation in only in the latter part of 2003 with an increasing number of works contracts approved. The main reason for the slow progress of implementation has been the lack of experience of the Polish contracting authorities with tendering and contracting procedures.

Monitoring and Evaluation

ISPA Monitoring Committee meetings were held in April and December 2003.

Co-financing with IFIs

Active co-operation with the IFIs concerning the environment sector continued in 2003. The Commission has noticed that the beneficiaries engage in negotiations with the IFIs but do not finalise lending agreements until a grant from ISPA has been approved.

EDIS

Preparation for EDIS is progressing and Poland will endeavour to reach stage 3 ‘compliance assessment’ of the EDIS road map before accession.

Financial Management and Control

No further audit missions were carried out in 2003 on the management and control system of the ISPA implementing agencies.

ROMANIA

In 2003, Romania received a total commitment of € 260.8 million of ISPA assistance. Of the 2003 allocation, € 129.4 million was assigned to transport projects and € 131.4 million to environment projects. Of these commitments, technical assistance measures accounted for € 13.6 million in the environment sector, of which € 5.6 million was made with respect to a measure for institutional capacity strengthening of ISPA final beneficiaries in the water and wastewater sector. The allocation for Romania represented 23.16% of the overall ISPA budget in 2003.

Programming

A total of 7 new projects were approved in 2003 for both sectors. In the transport sector, one project was approved for the Rehabilitation of the Campina-Predeal Railway Section. In the environment sector, 6 projects were approved, including two technical assistance measures. Two projects concern the combined investment in the drinking and wastewater sectors in the cities of Bacau and Pitesti. Two projects relates to the management of the solid waste system in the counties of Teleorman and Dambovita, respectively. The technical assistance measures provide support for institutional strengthening and project preparation, respectively.

Implementation

As regards tendering and contracting, a total of 21 services contracts for design, supervision and technical assistance were signed in 2003 (4 in the transport sector and 17 in the environment sector), as well as 26 works contracts (17 in the transport sector and 9 in the environment sector). One supply contract under the Institutional Building 2001/RO/16/P/PA/009/04 budget was also signed.

While the whole of the available ISPA allocations were fully committed during 2000-2003, payments made till end 2003 amounted to € 136.4 million, of which €24.02 million were made in 2003. The majority of measures have had one payment, i.e. the first instalment of the advance; only 3 of the investment measures have had the second instalment of the advance payment; and 3 TA measures have had the second instalment of the advance payment, of which 2 in addition interim payment.

In 2003, second advance payments were paid with respect to 1 investment measure only, reflecting slow progress in contracting of works tenders and difficulties in complying with Art. 8 conditions of the Financing memoranda. The outcome of audit missions in Romania resulted in interruption of payment procedures until shortfalls in the financial management system are adequately addressed.

Monitoring and Evaluation

In 2003, the ISPA Monitoring Committee met twice, respectively in April and October.

Co-financing with IFIs

Co-operation with the IFIs is very important in Romania, in particular in the environment sector where most ISPA measures are co-financed with IFIs. These include 8 measures with the EIB (2 in 2000, i.e. Craiova and Braila, 3 in 2001, i.e. Cluj, Focsani and Pascani, 3 in 2002, i.e. Satu Mare, Buzau and Piatra Neamt, and 2 are foreseen for Dimbovita, Pitesti respectively, ISPA projects approved in 2003). A further 9 measures are co-financed with the EBRD (2 in 2000, i.e. Constanta and Iasi, 4 in 2001, i.e. Arad, Oradea, Timisoara and Targu Mures, 2 in 2002, i.e. Brasov and Sibiu, and 1 in 2003, i.e.Bacau).

It is anticipated that this co-operation will continue throughout the whole ISPA programming period given that the level of investment needs stand well above the ISPA allocation.

EDIS

In 2003 the technical assistance measure (approved by the Commission in November 2002) to strengthen the capacity of Implementing agencies to implement ISPA measure under the Stage II ‘gap plugging’ of the Road map was under implementation. Manual of procedures were elaborated and seminars, respectively trainings took place on project management, tendering procedures and use of procedure manuals. At the end of 2003 the Commission approved a technical assistance for institutional capacity strengthening of ISPA final beneficiaries in the water and wastewater sector.

Financial Management and Control

Two audits of the financial management and control systems for ISPA were undertaken by the DG Regional policy. These have identified still existing shortfalls, mainly in relation to the validity of expense declarations. As a consequence the Commission requested a confirmation on the viability of ISPA expenditures according to the Financing Memoranda before proceeding any further payments. Recommendations were made for actions which need to be addressed by September 2004. The Romanian Ministry of Finance decided to complete the requirements before submitting the confirmation on expenditure validity and invited the Commission to check this completion by an audit mission in February 2004.

Irregularities

One irregularity was reported regarding use of waste bins, financed under Phare program, in contradiction with the terms of the funding contract. The results of OLAF investigation carried out in cooperation of the Commission Delegation to Romania showed that the waste bins have been bought using national funds. The investigation has been closed and the complainer has been consequently informed.

Procurement ratio : 25.49% (calculated as the total contracted amount against the total eligible cost for the period 2000-2003).

SLOVAKIA

In 2003, Slovakia received a total commitment allocation of € 50.6 million. This was divided between the transport and environment sectors with € 17.6 million and € 32.7 million respectively. Of this allocation, technical assistance accounted for € 0.3 million. The allocation for Slovakia represented 4.50% of the overall ISPA budget in 2003.

Programming

Both in the environment and in the transport sector a number of TA measures were taken to provide for a sufficient number of projects for the Cohesion Fund programming period 2004 – 2006.

Regarding the preparation of projects for the 2003 budget, the preparation of 7 new environment projects allowed to take up all available commitments for the year 2003 and to make all allocations foreseen within the Financial Framework until 2006, thus allocating some 30% of the available Cohesion Fund budget.

Environment sector:

The following seven environment projects of a total value of € 115.4 million were adopted in 2003, involving an ISPA contribution of € 70.9 million and a total 2003 commitment of € 13,99 million :

-Upgrade of heating plant in Žilina: total cost: € 12 mio, ISPA grant: € 9 mio;

- Košice City Sewerage and Waste Water Treatment : total cost: € 19.4 mio, ISPA grant: € 9.7 mio;

- Waste water disposal system of the Šaľa region: total cost: € 21.3 mio, ISPA grant: € 14.4 mio;

- Sewerage system and Wastewater Treatment Plant located in Humenné: total cost: € 12.3 mio, ISPA grant: € 7.97 mio;

- Waste water treatment plant and sewerage in the Trnava region: total cost: € 19.2 mio, ISPA grant: € 10.19 mio;

- Piešťany Sewerage Reconstruction and Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrade: total cost: € 11.7 mio, ISPA grant: € 6.4 mio;

- Completion of Poprad-Matejovce Waste Water Treatment Plant: total cost: € 19.5 mio, ISPA grant: € 13.16 mio.

All these projects were prepared with regional water companies as Final Beneficiaries in respect of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Slovak authorities and the Commission services in August 2002. In most cases project preparation included the elaboration of tender documents, which will considerably speed up implementation, as compared to previous years’ projects.

Transport sector

Since all funds available had already been allocated in previous years, no further transport projects were decided.

Implementation

The three Implementing Agencies responsible for rail, road and environment made good progress in the implementation of ISPA measures. The preparation of EDIS accreditation helped to strengthen the implementation procedures and provided relevant training to key staff.

In the transport sector work progressed according to schedule on the modernisation of the rail track between Rača and Šenkvice and the motorway project in Bratislava (D 61). The cancelled tender for the second railway project, Senkvice – Cífer, was successfully relaunched and the preparation of the third railway tender, Trnava – Piest’any, was finalised.In the environment field, where the preparation of tenders had been behind schedule, good progress was achieveds. In Trencin implementation was well under way and, whereasmajor works contracts were signed for the project in Banska Bystrica. Tender procedures for works were almost finalised for the projects in Zvolen and Komarno and were well under way for the projects in Nitra, South East Zemplin, Zilina, Liptovsky Mikulas, Martin and Sala. For the drinking water project in Velky Krtis the tender for detailed design was launched.

The payments made in 2003 amounted to € 58,55 million (€ 30,82 million in the year 2003) and related to advance and intermediate payments of projects and technical assistance measures.

Monitoring and evaluation

Two ISPA Monitoring Committees were held, respectively on 13 March and 25 November 2003. The meetings were well organised, and the monitoring documentation is now of good quality.

Co-financing with IFIs

In the environment sector the co-operation with the EIB has continued. The global framework loan through a the Slovak Guarantee and Development Bank was put in place. At this stage the facility has been used for the projects in Banska Bystrica and Velky Krtis.

In the transport sector the final agreement was signed on the co-financing with the EIB of the motorway project in Bratislava, the EIB loan amounting to 40 million €. Though EIB loans are in principle also available for railway projects, for the time being, the Slovak Government has not decided to use this facility.

EDIS

Provisions for internal control and audit have been made within the Slovak Central Administration. In summer 2002, the National Fund initiated the preparation for EDIS accreditation of the entire administration involved in ISPA implementation. For this purpose, a technical assistance measure was launched under ISPA (€ 1.3 million grant). The preparation of EDIS accreditation has been hampered by the lack of adequate and sufficient human resources in the National Fund and in the Implementing Agencies, and substantial delays may be expected.

The third stage of the EDIS accreditation procedure (compliance assessment) was finished in September 2003 and all documents for the Verification Audit were sent to EC services by the end of October 2003. All relevant bodies have been actively involved in resolving the problems detected during the EDIS gap assessment stage. In view of the late date of submission and the not all favourable assessment by the compliance assessor, DG REGIO decided not to carry out any verification audit.

The EDIS exercise allowed to substantially improve the ISPA management system. And remaining TA funds for EDIS will be used for relevant training needs.

SLOVENIA

In 2003, Slovenia received a total ISPA of € 14.8 million. This was divided between € 5.5 million for the transport sector and € 9.2 million for the environment sector. Technical assistance for EDIS accounted for € 0.1 million. The allocation for Slovenia represented 1.32 % of the overall ISPA budget in 2003.

Programming

The environment strategy was up-dated at the end of 2002 to extend the list of projects to be presented for ISPA and Cohesion Fund funding in the future. A similar exercise took place early 2003 for the transport strategy.

A total of 13 projects were approved in the period 2000-2002. In 2003, one transport project, two environment projects and one TA measure were approved, bringing the total of projects approved since 2000 to 17.

Preparation of tendering and contracting was satisfactory as 7 works contracts and 8 service contracts were signed since 2000.

All of the available ISPA allocations were committed in 2000 – 2003, whereas by the end of 2003 a total of €22.0 million was paid , representing 32.8% of the €67.1 million committed in this period.

Implementation

As regards tendering and contracting, a total of 5 services contracts for technical assistance were signed in 2003, as well as 2 works contracts in the environment sector.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Two ISPA Monitoring committee meetings were held in April and November 2003.

Co-financing with IFIs

In 2003 Slovenia signed a framework loan of €35 million with the EIB for current and future ISPA projects in the railway sector. A similar framework loan for ISPA projects in the environment sector is under discussion. This will contribute to the leverage of ISPA funds and enable a closer co-operation between the Bank and the Commission services in the appraisal of project proposals.

EDIS

Following the Stage I (‘gap assessment’) activities carried out by the Slovenian authorities by their own means in 2002 Stage II (‘gap plugging’) and Stage III (‘compliance assessment’) were carried out in 2003 using the technical assistance for EDIS. The EDIS was not accredited in Slovenia in 2003 for the lack of time but the results of the technical assistance were used in the set up of the management and control system for the Cohesion Fund.

Financial management and control

In 2003, DG Regional policy carried out a third audit to assess the adequacy of the financial management and control systems and to provide recommendations on their improvement.

Country tables

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Useful Information Sources

ISPA on-line:

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/funds/ispa/ispa_en.htm

DG Regional Policy on-line:

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/index_en.htm

+++++ TABLE +++++

Project List

|2001/LV/16/P/PA/006 |Technical assistance introduction of EDIS |11/12/2001 |700,000 |100.00% |700,000 |560,000 |140,000 |518,215 | | |2002/LV/16/P/PE/009 |Rezekne development of water services |23/12/2002 |9,463,000 |75.00% |7,097,000 |5,677,600 |0 |709,700 | | |2000/LV/16/P/PE/001 |Riga water & environment project, phase II |22/12/2000 |24,300,000 |70.00% |17,010,000 |13,608,000 |3,402,000 |3,402,000 | | |2000/LV/16/P/PE/002 |Jelgava development of water services |22/12/2000 |14,993,000 |75.00% |11,244,750 |8,995,800 |0 |2,248,950 | | |2000/LV/16/P/PE/003 |Ventspils improvement of water supply, waste water collection and treatment |22/12/2000 |20,080,000 |47.00% |9,437,600 |7,550,080 |0 |2,605,774 | | |2001/LV/16/P/PE/007 |Development of water services in river basins of Eastern Latvia |13/12/2001 |67,600,000 |66.00% |44,616,000 |13,385,200 |5,642,000 |4,461,600 | | |2001/LV/16/P/PE/008 |Jurmala water services development |05/03/2002 |11,042,548 |75.00% |8,281,911 |6,625,529 |0 |828,191 | | |2000/LV/16/P/PA/001 |Technical assistance for environmental projects |12/09/2001 |4,510,000 |75.00% |3,382,500 |2,706,000 |200,000 |1,358,782 | | |2003/LV/16/P/PA/008 |Technical assistance for environment sector |01/12/2003 |19,866,892 |75.00% |14,900,169 |0 |11,920,135 | | | |2000/LV/16/P/PE/004 |Sustainable waste management in Ventspils region |15/06/2001 |6,190,000 |49.00% |3,033,100 |2,426,480 |606,620 |1,608,664 | | |2001/LV/16/P/PE/005 |Liepaja region solid waste management project |05/09/2001 |8,090,000 |63.00% |5,096,700 |4,077,360 |0 |1,019,340 | | |2001/LV/16/P/PE/006 |North Vidzeme region solid waste management |14/09/2001 |4,820,000 |70.00% |3,374,000 |2,699,200 |674,800 |1,168,827 | | |2002/LV/16/P/PE/011 |South Latgale regional solid waste management |17/11/2003 |6,490,500 |65.00% |4,218,825 |0 |3,375,060 | | |Various |2000/LV/16/P/PA/005 |Technical assistance in the rail sector: signalling and safety control systems |22/12/2000 |386,991 |82.37% |318,750 |290,243 |0 |278,449 | |I |2000/LV/16/P/PT/003 |Replacements of track turnouts on the W-E railway corridor |28/12/2000 |35,240,000 |75.00% |26,430,000 |13,215,000 |4,405,000 |7,947,230 | |I + IX |2000/LV/16/P/PT/004 |Rezekne rail marshalling yard: rail upgrading |28/12/2000 |10,213,346 |75.00% |7,660,010 |6,128,000 |1,532,010 |766,001 | |I |2001/LV/16/P/PT/006 |Modernisation of signalling systems on East-West rail corridor |27/12/2001 |89,950,964 |75.00% |67,463,223 |14,097,084 |4,559,183 |6,746,322 | |I |2001/LV/16/P/PT/007 |Modernisation of hot-box detection system on the East-West rail corridor |12/03/2002 |15,123,880 |75.00% |11,342,910 |9,074,328 |0 |1,134,291 | |I |2000/LV/16/P/PT/001 |Via Baltica road: Gauja-Lilaste - km 13 to km 21,2 |23/10/2000 |5,762,300 |75.00% |4,321,725 |4,321,725 |0 |3,889,553 | |I |2000/LV/16/P/PT/002 |Access road to Riga airport (P133) and a related section of Riga-Ventspils highway (A10) near interchange |28/12/2000 |7,600,000 |75.00% |5,700,000 |4,175,000 |1,300,000 |1,550,050 | |I |2001/LV/16/P/PA/007 |Technical assistance transport |18/10/2001 |860,000 |74.86% |643,769 |516,000 |127,769 |366,485 | |I |2001/LV/16/P/PT/005 |Via Baltica: improvements of part Riga-Adazi (km 0 to 6,3) |17/12/2001 |14,200,588 |75.00% |10,650,441 |8,520,352 |2,130,089 |4,969,860 | |I |2002/LV/16/P/PT/008 |Construction of Saulkrasti bypass - Improvement of Via Baltica |20/12/2002 |41,051,847 |75.00% |30,788,885 |12,706,800 |3,559,358 |3,078,888 | |I |2003/LV/16/P/PT/009 |E67 Via Baltica section Kekava-Lecava |30/11/2003 |11,744,420 |75.00% |8,808,315 |0 |6,994,527 | | |

Lithuania | | | Commission Decision Signature |Total Eligible Cost € | % Grant |ISPA Grant € |Commitments 2000-2002 € |Commitments 2003 € |Payments 2000-2003 € | | |2001/LT/16/P/PA/003 |Technical assistance for EDIS |20/12/2001 |381,420 |100.00% |381,420 |381,420 |0 |257,496 | | |2000/LT/16/P/PE/001 |Vilnius Rehabilitation and extension of water supply and sewage collection systems |10/11/2000 |40,000,000 |50.00% |20,000,000 |16,000,000 |0 |4,077,578 | | |2001/LT/16/P/PE/005 |Jonava: wastewater treatment plant, sewer network extension and potable water network rehabilitation |13/12/2001 |6,259,900 |60.00% |3,755,940 |3,004,752 |0 |375,594 | | |2001/LT/16/P/PE/006 |Neringa: drinking water and waste water treatment systems development |18/12/2001 |10,153,000 |47.00% |4,771,910 |3,817,528 |0 | | | |2001/LT/16/P/PA/002 |TA project preparation in environment sector |26/10/2001 |9,330,000 |75.00% |6,997,500 |5,598,000 |0 |2,098,603 | | |2003/LT/16/P/PA/004 |Technical assistance for institutional strenghtening in the environment sector |05/12/2003 |2,376,375 |75.00% |1,782,281 |0 |1,425,825 | | | |2000/LT/16/P/PE/002 |Druskinninkai: wastewater treatment, upgrading and extension |22/12/2000 |5,500,000 |65.00% |3,575,000 |2,200,000 |660,000 |550,000 | | |2001/LT/16/P/PE/007 |Kaunas: extension of wastewater treatment plant for biological treatment and network extensions |13/12/2001 |22,359,000 |71.00% |15,874,890 |12,699,912 |0 |1,587,489 | | |2002/LT/16/P/PE/009 |Kedainiai: Reconstruction of Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rehabilitation and Extension of Sewer and Water Supply Networks |17/12/2002 |10,400,000 |65.00% |6,760,000 |5,408,000 |0 |676,000 | | |2002/LT/16/P/PE/013 |Radviliskis: Reconstruction of Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rehabilitation and Extention of Sewer and Water Supply Networks and SWR Network Rehabilitation and Development Project for the town of Radviliskis |13/12/2002 |6,400,000 |70.00% |4,480,000 |3,584,000 |0 |448,000 | | |2002/LT/16/P/PE/014 |Mazeikiai wastewater treatment plant construction |18/12/2002 |7,500,000 |50.00% |3,750,000 |3,000,000 |0 |375,000 | | |2001/LT/16/P/PE/003 |Alytus: development of regional waste management system |13/12/2001 |7,825,808 |50.00% |3,912,904 |3,130,323 |0 |391,290 | | |2001/LT/16/P/PE/004 |Taurage: regional waste management system |13/12/2001 |6,629,786 |70.00% |4,640,850 |3,712,680 |0 |464,085 | | |2001/LT/16/P/PE/008 |Siauliai: regional waste management system development |21/12/2001 |9,402,000 |56.00% |5,265,120 |3,712,722 |0 |526,512 | | |2002/LT/16/P/PE/010 |Klaipeda waste management system development |17/12/2002 |11,750,000 |50.00% |5,875,000 |4,700,000 |0 |587,500 | | |2002/LT/16/P/PE/011 |Mariampole: Development of Regional Solid Waste Management System |17/12/2002 |13,009,000 |72.00% |9,366,480 |7,493,184 |0 |936,648 | | |2002/LT/16/P/PE/012 |Vilnius regional waste management |17/12/2002 |20,930,000 |50.00% |10,465,000 |8,372,000 |0 |1,046,500 | | |2003/LT/16/P/PE/017 |Hazardous waste management |15/12/2003 |18,758,000 |65.40% |12,267,325 |0 |9,813,860 | | |I, IXb & IXd |2000/LT/16/P/PA/001 |Technical assistance for project preparation on development of railway Crete Corridors IXB, IXD and I |22/06/2001 |1,250,000 |75.00% |937,500 |750,000 |187,500 |507,234 | |IXb |2000/LT/16/P/PT/004 |Modernisation of telecommunications, signalling and power supply on Crete Corridor IXB |22/12/2000 |31,701,000 |36.00% |11,412,360 |9,129,888 |0 |5,566,728 | |IXb |2001/LT/16/P/PT/006 |Power supply sector 3 - Modernisation on Crete Corridor IXB |20/11/2001 |27,193,000 |44.00% |11,964,920 |9,571,936 |2,392,984 |2,392,984 | |IX |2002/LT/16/P/PT/008 |Siauliai-Klaipeda: upgrading railway corridor IX: modernisation power supply and signalling, rehabilitation railway structures, track renewal |18/12/2002 |126,563,067 |36.00% |45,562,704 |13,402,565 |9,834,414 |4,556,270 | |Various |2003/LT/16/P/PA/005 |Technical assistance for project preparation for the rail sector |30/11/2003 |5,300,000 |75.00% |3,975,000 |0 |2,773,128 | | |IXb |2000/LT/16/P/PT/001 |Upgrading of IXB Transport Corridor (Vilnius-Klaipeda) |10/11/2000 |26,082,400 |75.00% |19,561,800 |15,649,440 |3,912,360 |15,649,440 | |I |2000/LT/16/P/PT/002 |Development of Via Baltica road in 2000-2006 (Pan European Corridor 1) |10/11/2000 |15,439,000 |75.00% |11,579,000 |9,263,200 |2,315,800 |9,262,873 | |Ia |2000/LT/16/P/PT/003 |Development of Corridor 1A (2001-2004) |10/10/2001 |26,422,387 |75.00% |19,816,800 |12,286,416 |3,567,024 |12,622,984 | |IXb |2000/LT/16/P/PT/005 |Klaipeda northern access road |18/12/2002 |14,790,000 |45.00% |6,655,500 |5,324,400 |0 |665,550 | |IXb |2002/LT/16/P/PT/007 |Upgrading of IXB transport corridor in 2003-2004 |18/12/2002 |19,888,700 |75.00% |14,916,525 |1,695,077 |5,966,610 |5,573,578 | |

Poland | | | Commission Decision Signature |Total Eligible Cost € | % Grant |ISPA Grant € |Commitments 2000-2002 € |Commitments 2003 € |Payments 2000-2003 € | | |2000/PL/16/P/PA/001 |Technical assistance for training EDIS |29/12/2000 |1,630,000 |100.00% |1,630,000 |1,630,000 |0 |623,000 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/008 |Pila: drinking water supply |28/12/2000 |8,501,659 |51.00% |4,335,846 |3,468,677 |0 |867,169 | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/040 |Rzeszow agglomeration: drinking water improvement programme |03/12/2003 |33,616,500 |55.00% |18,489,075 |0 |14,791,260 | | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/001 |Bydgoszcz: Water supply and sewerage (project) |19/09/2000 |66,240,000 |49.00% |32,457,600 |25,966,080 |0 |6,491,520 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/010 |Torun: water and sewage management |18/12/2000 |79,111,000 |60.00% |47,466,600 |21,100,000 |7,500,000 |4,746,660 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/014 |Olsztyn: drinking water and wastewater treatment |15/03/2001 |38,142,100 |57.00% |21,740,997 |5,493,485 |11,899,313 |1,373,371 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/015 |Poznan: wastewater treatment and water supply |07/09/2001 |104,400,000 |57.00% |59,508,000 |45,000,000 |0 |5,950,800 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/016 |Szczecin water quality improvement (phase 1) (PE 16 and 17) |28/12/2000 |288,000,000 |66.00% |190,080,000 |27,702,724 |35,513,276 |38,016,000 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/019 |Wroclaw water quality improvement |15/03/2001 |121,070,000 |56.00% |67,799,200 |29,232,000 |0 |7,308,000 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/020 |Warsaw water supply and waste water treatment |05/09/2001 |178,551,000 |62.00% |110,701,620 |21,965,840 |41,205,161 |2,745,730 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/021 |Suwalki: water quality improvement |07/09/2001 |12,468,000 |50.00% |6,234,000 |4,987,200 |0 |623,400 | | |2001/PL/16/P/PE/024 |Bialystok water quality improvement |13/12/2001 |18,316,000 |56.00% |10,256,960 |8,205,568 |0 |1,025,696 | | |2001/PL/16/P/PE/028 |Opole water quality improvement |27/09/2002 |62,337,000 |65.00% |40,519,050 |30,389,287 |0 |4,051,905 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PE/031 |Elblag drinking water treatment |20/09/2002 |15,584,000 |60.00% |9,350,400 |7,480,320 |0 |935,040 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PE/033 |Jelenia Gora water supply and waste water treatment |23/09/2002 |40,615,000 |69.00% |28,024,350 |21,018,262 |0 |2,802,435 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PE/035 |Czestochowa waste water and drinking water treatment |17/12/2002 |32,844,616 |65.00% |21,349,000 |16,011,750 |0 |2,134,900 | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/038 |Dolina Redy i Chylonky: water supply and wastewater treatment |15/12/2003 |49,948,000 |55.00% |27,471,400 |0 |1,977,120 | | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/041 |Walbrzych wastewater treatment |03/11/2003 |49,930,000 |69.00% |34,451,700 |0 |7,561,360 | | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/042 |Stalowa Wola: drinking water and wastewater treatment |03/11/2003 |19,060,000 |69.00% |13,151,400 |0 |10,521,120 | | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/044 |Chorzow-Swietochlowice: water supply and wastewater treatment |17/12/2003 |31,811,400 |70.00% |22,267,980 |0 |2,226,798 | | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/045 |Tarnow: water supply and wastewater treatment |03/11/2003 |38,046,000 |68.00% |25,871,280 |0 |2,587,128 | | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/046 |Kedzierzyn-Kozle: water supply and wastewater treatment |17/12/2003 |40,430,000 |70.00% |28,301,000 |0 |2,830,100 | | | |2000/PL/16/P/PA/003 |Technical assistance for the preparation of environment projects |27/12/2000 |4,550,000 |75.00% |3,412,500 |3,412,500 |0 |1,483,390 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PA/013 |Technical assistance for the environment sector |17/06/2003 |15,900,000 |75.00% |11,925,000 |0 |9,540,000 |1,192,500 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/003 |Gliwice: waste water treatment |07/09/2001 |66,395,000 |53.00% |35,189,350 |27,000,000 |0 |3,518,935 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/004 |Katowice: waste water treatment |07/09/2001 |50,520,000 |60.00% |30,312,000 |23,000,000 |0 |3,031,200 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/007 |Podhale wastewater treatment |11/12/2003 |19,393,000 |65.00% |12,605,450 |0 |1,260,545 | | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/009 |Przemysl: waste water treatment |07/09/2001 |17,444,000 |50.00% |8,722,000 |6,977,600 |0 |872,000 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/012 |Krakow Plaszow sewage treatment plant |28/12/2000 |79,976,000 |70.00% |55,983,200 |44,786,560 |0 |11,196,640 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/013 |Lodz waste water treatment plant |07/09/2001 |45,799,000 |50.00% |22,899,500 |18,319,600 |0 |2,289,950 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/022 |Brzeg waste water treatment |16/08/2002 |28,605,000 |60.00% |17,163,000 |13,730,400 |0 |1,716,300 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/023 |Zywiec waste water treatment |05/12/2003 |16,656,600 |65.00% |10,826,790 |0 |1,082,679 | | | |2001/PL/16/P/PE/025 |Rybnik waste water collection system |13/12/2001 |111,440,000 |64.00% |71,321,600 |20,512,600 |18,059,000 |7,132,160 | | |2001/PL/16/P/PE/026 |Boleslawiec waste water treatment |16/08/2002 |18,250,000 |60.00% |10,950,000 |8,760,000 |0 |1,095,000 | | |2001/PL/16/P/PE/027 |Ruda Slaska waste water treatment |27/02/2002 |45,897,000 |65.00% |29,833,050 |5,966,610 |2,899,830 |2,983,305 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PE/029 |Lublin wastewater treatment |20/09/2002 |16,150,000 |60.00% |9,690,000 |7,752,000 |0 |969,000 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PE/032 |Wloclawek waste water treatment |20/09/2002 |27,238,000 |65.00% |17,704,700 |14,163,760 |0 |1,770,470 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PE/036 |Mielec wastewater treatment |13/12/2002 |26,860,000 |70.00% |18,802,000 |15,041,600 |0 |1,880,200 | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/037 |Grudziadz: wastewater tratment |15/12/2003 |7,702,000 |70.00% |5,391,400 |0 |4,313,120 | | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/002 |"Dolina Redy I Chylonki solid waste treatment plant |12/03/2001 |20,852,950 |72.00% |15,014,127 |12,011,301 |0 |3,002,825 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/005 |Kraków: Municipal solid waste treatment (phase 1) |18/12/2000 |22,730,000 |62.00% |14,092,600 |11,274,080 |0 |2,818,520 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/006 |Lodz: solid waste treatment |07/09/2001 |21,640,000 |60.00% |12,984,000 |10,387,200 |0 |1,298,400 | | |2000/PL/16/P/PE/018 |Wroclaw solid waste treatment (phase 1) |18/12/2000 |20,402,000 |66.00% |13,465,320 |10,772,256 |0 |2,693,064 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PE/030 |Kalisz waste treatment plant |27/11/2002 |13,450,000 |69.00% |9,280,500 |7,424,400 |0 |928,050 | | |2002/PL/16/P/PE/034 |Radom solid waste treatment |18/12/2002 |17,600,000 |65.00% |11,440,000 |9,152,000 |0 |1,144,000 | | |2003/PL/16/P/PE/039 |Sosnowiec: wastewater treatment |15/12/2003 |23,365,000 |70.00% |16,355,500 |0 |13,084,400 | | |II |2000/PL/16/P/PA/002 |Technical assistance for pre-feasibility study for the sustainable development of the Warsaw Transport node |29/12/2000 |940,000 |75.00% |705,000 |705,000 |0 |418,090 | |II |2000/PL/16/P/PT/002 |Minsk-Siedlce (E20): rail upgrading |19/09/2000 |124,595,600 |75.00% |93,446,719 |91,226,719 |2,220,000 |44,558,185 | |II |2000/PL/16/P/PT/003 |Rzepin-Kunowice (E20): rail upgrading |12/12/2000 |23,033,384 |75.00% |17,275,038 |14,175,888 |3,099,150 |9,170,176 | |VI |2001/PL/16/P/PA/005 |Technical assistance for preparation of the project Modernisation of E65 railway line on section Warsaw-Dzialdowo-Gdynia |12/09/2001 |14,900,000 |75.00% |11,175,000 |4,768,000 |6,407,000 |1,192,000 | |II |2001/PL/16/P/PT/012 |Siedlce-Terespol E20: modernisation of rail section (Phase 1) |30/09/2002 |185,274,000 |75.00% |138,955,500 |27,791,100 |0 |13,895,550 | |III |2001/PL/16/P/PT/013 |Wegliniec-Legnica Modernisation of E30 rail section |17/12/2001 |123,783,000 |75.00% |92,837,250 |33,582,314 |13,567,450 |18,567,450 | |II |2001/PL/16/P/PT/014 |Poznan modernisation rail node E20 |22/11/2001 |67,439,560 |75.00% |50,579,670 |20,231,868 |10,115,934 |10,115,934 | |II, III & VI |2001/PL/16/P/PT/015 |Improvement of railway infrastructure and liquidation of operational bottlenecks |28/11/2001 |111,000,000 |75.00% |83,250,000 |38,386,150 |14,386,150 |8,325,000 | |I |2002/PL/16/P/PA/008 |Technical assistance for modernisation of E75 railway line section Warsaw-Bialystok-Sokòlka-Suwalki-Trkiszki (rail Baltica) |05/07/2002 |3,000,000 |80.00% |2,400,000 |1,920,000 |0 |240,000 | |II |2002/PL/16/P/PA/009 |Technical assistance for preparation of 'modernisation railway corridor II (E20&CE20) - remaining works |23/09/2002 |3,000,000 |75.00% |2,250,000 |1,800,000 |0 |225,000 | |III |2002/PL/16/P/PA/012 |Technical assistance for modernisation of E30/CE30 railway section Opole-Katowice-Krakow |17/11/2003 |3,625,000 |75.00% |2,718,750 |0 |2,175,000 | | |III |2002/PL/16/P/PT/016 |Modernisation of E30 railway line section Wegliniec-Zgorzelec-German border |23/09/2002 |83,451,000 |75.00% |62,588,250 |12,517,650 |12,517,650 |6,258,825 | |III |2000/PL/16/P/PT/001 |Kleszczow-Sosnica A4: construction motorway section KA4E |19/09/2000 |112,282,000 |75.00% |84,211,500 |75,375,000 |0 |8,421,150 | |II |2000/PL/16/P/PT/004 |Sochaczew-Grojec: reinforcement of surface pavement (NR 717) |01/12/2000 |32,761,000 |75.00% |24,570,750 |19,656,600 |2,457,075 |13,865,621 | |III |2000/PL/16/P/PT/005 |Bielsko-Biala-Cieszyn: construction of expressway |12/06/2001 |138,185,000 |75.00% |103,638,750 |55,511,000 |16,300,000 |24,485,978 | |I |2000/PL/16/P/PT/007 |Gdansk-Jazowa: Pavement strengthening on the Corridor 1 section |29/12/2000 |82,832,000 |75.00% |62,124,000 |49,699,000 |0 |19,108,820 | |III |2000/PL/16/P/PT/008 |Krakow-Tarnow: road rehabilitation on Corridor III |29/12/2000 |62,233,000 |75.00% |46,674,750 |11,456,376 |0 |9,334,950 | |III |2001/PL/16/P/PT/009 |Wroclaw-Krzyzowa Rehabilitation A4 |20/08/2001 |252,700,000 |75.00% |189,525,000 |71,340,000 |40,140,000 |52,726,214 | |III |2002/PL/16/P/PA/007 |Technical assistance Krzyzowa-Zgorzelec A4 motorway |10/07/2002 |6,625,000 |75.00% |4,968,750 |3,975,000 |993,750 |496,875 | |II |2002/PL/16/P/PA/010 |Technical assistance for A2 motorway section Strykow-Konotopa |04/12/2002 |700,000 |75.00% |525,000 |420,000 |0 |420,000 | |II |2002/PL/16/P/PT/018 |Upgrading of National Road 50, section Grojec-Minsk Mazowiecki |18/12/2002 |74,411,000 |75.00% |55,808,250 |1,676,455 |9,485,195 |1,676,455 | |III |2002/PL/16/P/PT/019 |Olszyna-Golnice: construction of 2nd carriageway of National Road 18 |17/11/2003 |118,000,000 |75.00% |88,500,000 |0 |26,300,522 | | |Various |2003/PL/16/P/PA/014 |Technical assistance: support of preparation and implementation of road projects financed within the Cohesion Fund |28/11/2003 |5,200,000 |75.00% |3,900,000 |0 |390,000 | | |II |2003/PL/16/P/PT/020 |A2 motorway construction, section Konin-Strykow, subsection Emilia-Strykow II |15/12/2003 |103,796,000 |75.00% |77,847,000 |0 |28,569,374 | | | Romania | | | Commission Decision Signature |Total Eligible Cost € | % Grant |ISPA Grant € |Commitments 2000-2002 € |Commitments 2003 € |Payments 2000-2003 € | | |2001/RO/16/P/PA/009 |Technical assistance to strengthen capacity of implementing agencies -stage 1 |17/06/2002 |605,000 |100.00% |605,000 |484,000 |36,831 |180,940 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/005 |Pascani: Upgrading of water & waste water system |18/12/2001 |16,262,000 |75.00% |12,196,500 |10,976,850 |0 |1,219,650 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/006 |Iasi: Upgrading of water & waste water system |22/12/2000 |51,378,000 |75.00% |38,533,500 |34,680,150 |0 |3,853,350 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/007 |Brasov: Treatment of drinking water and wastewater of Brasov City and neighbouring localities |07/06/2002 |58,708,624 |71.00% |41,683,123 |20,841,561 |12,504,938 |4,168,312 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/008 |Cluj: Rehabilitation and modernisation of the water supply and sewerage systems |31/05/2001 |46,755,800 |75.00% |35,066,850 |31,560,165 |0 |3,506,685 | | |2001/RO/16/P/PA/003 |Baia Mare, Botosani, Drobeta, Galati, Deva and Hunedoara: TA for preparation of environment projects |17/09/2002 |3,500,000 |75.00% |2,625,000 |2,100,000 |0 |525,000 | | |2001/RO/16/P/PE/015 |Targu Mures: rehabilitation of drinking water supply and waste water collection and treatment |20/11/2001 |27,909,400 |75.00% |20,932,050 |10,466,025 |8,372,820 |2,093,205 | | |2002/RO/16/P/PE/018 |Bacau:drinking water and wastewater collection and treatment improvements |01/09/2003 |52,006,000 |75.00% |39,004,500 |0 |27,303,150 | | | |2002/RO/16/P/PE/019 |Satu Mare: improvements to water supply and wastewater collection and treatment systems |13/12/2002 |37,355,000 |71.00% |26,522,050 |16,384,358 |0 |2,652,205 | | |2002/RO/16/P/PE/021 |Buzau: rehabilitation of wastewater treatment plant, sewerage system and distribution network |13/12/2002 |35,433,550 |74.00% |26,220,827 |18,354,579 |0 |2,622,082 | | |2002/RO/16/P/PE/022 |Sibiu: modernisation of water supply and sewerage system |18/12/2002 |37,588,000 |68.00% |25,559,840 |17,891,888 |0 |2,555,984 | | |2002/RO/16/P/PE/023 |Pietra Neamt: improvement of water supply, sewerage system and wastewater treatment |10/12/2002 |28,594,545 |74.00% |21,159,963 |14,811,974 |0 |2,115,996 | | |2003/RO/16/P/PA/012 |Technical assistance for institutional capacity strengthening - beneficiaries in water and wastewater sector |01/12/2003 |7,000,000 |100.00% |7,000,000 |0 |5,600,000 | | | |2003/RO/16/P/PE/026 |Pitesti: rehabilitation of the wastewater treatment plant, sewerage network and water supply system |01/12/2003 |41,750,000 |75.00% |31,312,500 |0 |23,029,225 | | | |2003/RO/16/P/PA/013 |Technical assistance for project preparation in the environment sector |01/12/2003 |12,750,000 |78.00% |9,945,000 |0 |7,956,000 | | | |2000/RO/16/P/PA/001 |Technical assistance for completion and upgrading of Bucharest wastewater treatment plant |22/02/2001 |1,810,000 |75.00% |1,357,500 |1,086,000 |0 |271,500 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/002 |Craiova: Rehabilitation of sewerage network and wastewater treatment facilities to protect the river Danube |22/12/2000 |70,378,000 |75.00% |52,783,500 |47,505,150 |0 |5,278,350 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/003 |Constanta: sewerage and wastewater treatment rehabilitation |16/11/2000 |96,556,653 |75.00% |72,417,490 |56,984,854 |0 |14,483,498 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/004 |Timisoara: rehabilitation of wastewater treatment technology and sewerage improvements |04/12/2001 |48,080,000 |71.00% |34,136,800 |20,482,080 |6,827,360 |3,413,680 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/009 |Valea Jiului: Danutoni waste water treatment plant extension |22/12/2000 |9,680,000 |75.00% |7,260,000 |6,534,000 |0 |726,000 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/010 |Braila: Integrated sewerage development and wastewater treatment |15/02/2001 |59,877,400 |75.00% |44,908,050 |13,680,000 |11,400,000 |4,490,805 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/011 |Arad: Rehabilitation and modification of sewerage network and provision of wastewater treatment facitlities to protect river Mures |15/02/2001 |18,000,000 |75.00% |13,500,000 |10,800,000 |0 |1,350,000 | | |2001/RO/16/P/PE/012 |Focsani: Rehabilitation of the sewerage network and wastewater treatment plant |14/08/2001 |15,876,500 |74.00% |11,748,610 |9,398,888 |0 |1,174,861 | | |2001/RO/16/P/PE/013 |Oradea: Rehabilitation of the sewerage network and wastewater treatment plant |14/08/2001 |23,906,000 |70.00% |16,734,200 |13,387,360 |0 |1,673,420 | | |2000/RO/16/P/PE/001 |Piatra Neamt: waste management programme |23/10/2000 |13,846,000 |75.00% |10,384,500 |8,307,600 |0 |1,038,450 | | |2001/RO/16/P/PE/014 |Ramnicu Valcea: integrated municipal waste management |11/04/2002 |14,673,100 |75.00% |11,004,825 |8,803,860 |0 |1,100,482 | | |2001/RO/16/P/PE/017 |Dambovita County: rehabilitation of solid waste collection, transportation, treatment and landfill |01/12/2003 |25,894,000 |75.00% |19,420,500 |0 |15,536,400 | | | |2002/RO/16/P/PE/024 |Teleorman: integrated waste management system |01/12/2003 |20,801,000 |75.00% |15,600,750 |0 |12,843,600 | | |VII |2002/RO/16/P/PA/011 |Technical assistance: improvement of navigation conditions on the Danube |13/12/2002 |2,000,000 |75.00% |1,500,000 |1,200,000 |0 |300,000 | |IV |2000/RO/16/P/PT/001 |Bucharest-Fetesti: Rehabilitation and upgrading of four railway sections (Bucharest-Constanza railway line) |23/10/2000 |308,972,588 |75.00% |231,729,441 |143,779,441 |18,622,721 |23,172,944 | |IV |2001/RO/16/P/PA/008 |Technical assistance for rehabilitation of the railway line HU border (Curtici) to Simeria (Arad) and accompanying studies |20/12/2001 |800,000 |75.00% |600,000 |480,000 |0 |60,000 | |IV |2003/RO/16/P/PT/007 |Campina-Predeal: rehabilitation of railway section on line Bucharest-Brasov |30/11/2003 |199,485,770 |75.00% |149,614,328 |0 |104,730,029 | | |IV |2000/RO/16/P/PA/002 |Technical Assistance preparation Drobeta-Lugoj project |01/03/2001 |1,500,000 |75.00% |1,125,000 |900,000 |0 |450,000 | |IX |2000/RO/16/P/PT/002 |Bucharest-Giurgiu: Widening to four lanes of the National Road N°5, |23/10/2000 |65,810,032 |66.00% |43,434,621 |34,747,696 |0 |8,686,924 | |IV |2000/RO/16/P/PT/003 |Bucharest-Cernavoda - Rehabilitation and construction of sections 4 and 5 (phase 1 of Bucharest - Constanta motorway) |23/10/2000 |95,616,000 |75.00% |71,712,000 |49,372,000 |0 |5,050,000 | |IV |2000/RO/16/P/PT/004 |Turnu Severin-Craiova: Rehabilitation road Craiova-Lugoj: phase 1 |22/02/2001 |117,002,705 |75.00% |87,752,028 |67,270,000 |0 |17,550,406 | |IV |2001/RO/16/P/PT/005 |Construction of motorway bypasses Corridor IV |14/08/2001 |90,521,000 |75.00% |67,890,750 |35,730,000 |6,000,000 |6,789,075 | |IV |2001/RO/16/P/PT/006 |Lugoj-Drobeta Turnu Severin: Rehabilitation route - phase 2: Craiova-Lugoj |13/12/2001 |184,015,500 |75.00% |138,011,625 |32,410,000 |0 |13,801,162 | | Slovakia | | | Commission Decision Signature |Total Eligible Cost € | % Grant |ISPA Grant € |Commitments 2000-2002 € |Commitments 2003 € |Payments 2000-2003 € | | |2002/SK/16/P/PA/003 |Technical assistance to implement EDIS |02/08/2002 |1,450,000 |100.00% |1,450,000 |1,160,000 |290,000 |1,160,000 | | |2002/SK/16/P/PE/012 |Velky Krtis: supplying the Southern part of the district with drinking water |13/12/2002 |28,000,000 |70.00% |19,600,000 |3,920,000 |7,000,000 |1,960,000 | | |2000/SK/16/P/PA/001 |Technical assistance: preparation environment projects |26/04/2001 |1,271,760 |75.00% |953,820 |953,820 |0 |763,056 | | |2002/SK/16/P/PA/007 |Technical assistance: preparation of high priority preventive flood protection measures |09/07/2003 |650,000 |75.00% |487,500 |0 |390,000 |157,950 | | |2002/SK/16/P/PA/008 |Technical assistance to Regional Water companies |16/04/2003 |4,300,000 |100.00% |4,300,000 |0 |3,440,000 |860,000 | | |2002/SK/16/P/PE/008 |S-E Zemplin: drinking water and sewerage |13/12/2002 |23,610,000 |70.00% |16,527,000 |7,628,836 |5,592,764 |1,652,700 | | |2003/SK/16/P/PA/009 |Technical assistance for the preparation of Cohesion Fund projects in the water sector |05/12/2003 |6,660,000 |75.00% |4,995,000 |0 |2,000,000 | | | |2002/SK/16/P/PE/009 |Liptov region: environmental improvement |13/12/2002 |10,520,000 |50.00% |5,260,000 |4,208,000 |0 |526,000 | | |2000/SK/16/P/PE/001 |Trencin: sewerage and waste water treatment plant - right riverside |05/12/2000 |7,936,732 |50.00% |3,968,366 |3,174,692 |0 |1,227,675 | | |2000/SK/16/P/PE/002 |Nitra: waste water treatment plant - sewerage system |18/12/2000 |10,354,200 |50.00% |5,177,100 |4,141,680 |0 |517,710 | | |2000/SK/16/P/PE/003 |Banska Bystrica: waste water disposal system |28/12/2000 |45,468,667 |50.00% |22,734,334 |14,462,517 |0 |2,273,433 | | |2000/SK/16/P/PE/004 |Komarno I: upgrade and extension of public sewerage collection and treatment |14/05/2001 |8,043,700 |50.00% |4,021,850 |3,217,480 |0 |804,370 | | |2001/SK/16/P/PE/005 |Zvolen: reconstruction and extension of the wastewater treatment plant |06/12/2001 |10,967,050 |50.00% |5,483,525 |4,386,820 |0 |548,353 | | |2001/SK/16/P/PE/007 |Dolny Turiec region and Martin: sewerage and wastewater treatment |17/12/2001 |12,295,676 |49.00% |6,024,881 |4,819,905 |0 |602,488 | | |2002/SK/16/P/PE/010 |Povazska Bystrica: wastewater treatment plant and sewerage system |13/12/2002 |12,300,000 |50.00% |6,150,000 |4,920,000 |0 |615,000 | | |2002/SK/16/P/PE/011 |Zilina wastewater treatment intensification and sewerage upgrade |13/12/2002 |19,608,000 |50.00% |9,804,000 |7,843,200 |0 |980,400 | |Va |2000/SK/16/P/PT/001 |Bratislava-Trnava:section Bratislava-Senkvice Modernisation of rail track |12/10/2000 |51,422,000 |75.00% |38,566,500 |30,853,200 |0 |23,449,364 | |Va |2001/SK/16/P/PT/003 |Bratislava-Trnava: Modernisation of rail Senkvice-Cifer and stations Raca-Trnava |13/12/2001 |116,859,000 |50.00% |58,429,500 |23,371,800 |11,685,900 |5,693,630 | |Va |2002/SK/16/P/PT/005 |Trnava-Piestany section: modernisation rail track Trnava-Nové Mesto nad Vahom |16/09/2002 |93,488,000 |50.00% |46,744,000 |5,266,330 |2,746,980 |4,674,400 | |Various |2002/SK/16/P/PA/006 |TA for the preparation of transport projects |18/12/2002 |2,200,000 |75.00% |1,650,000 |1,320,000 |0 |330,000 | |Link Va-VI |2001/SK/16/P/PT/002 |Bratislava: motorway D61, section Vienna Road-Riverport Bridge |06/12/2001 |52,210,000 |52.00% |27,149,200 |19,004,440 |2,714,920 |9,943,937 | | Slovenia | | | Commission Decision Signature |Total Eligible Cost € | % Grant |ISPA Grant € |Commitments 2000-2002 € |Commitments 2003 € |Payments 2000-2003 € | | |2002/SI/16/P/PA/003 |Technical assistance: EDIS |07/10/2002 |699,900 |100.00% |699,900 |559,920 |139,980 |279,960 | | |2000/SI/16/P/PE/004 |Gora Area: sustainable water supply of Trnovsko-Banjiski Plateau |26/11/2001 |5,122,168 |50.00% |2,561,084 |2,048,867 |0 |726,142 | | |2000/SI/16/P/PE/003 |Paka basin (Velenje): wastewater treatment and upgrading of water supply system |30/04/2002 |9,014,272 |50.00% |4,507,136 |3,605,709 |0 |450,714 | | |2003/SI/16/P/PA/004 |Krka river basin: technical assistance for preparation of management plan |23/09/2003 |1,100,000 |75.00% |825,000 |0 |660,000 |165,000 | | |2000/SI/16/P/PA/001 |Sava: request for technical assistance |10/11/2000 |300,000 |75.00% |225,000 |180,000 |0 |179,970 | | |2000/SI/16/P/PE/001 |Celje: waste water treatment plant |18/12/2000 |14,046,901 |60.00% |8,428,141 |7,075,526 |0 |5,557,805 | | |2000/SI/16/P/PE/002 |Lendava: sewerage system and central waste water treatment plant |18/12/2000 |11,647,014 |44.00% |5,124,686 |4,099,749 |0 |2,019,593 | | |2000/SI/16/P/PE/005 |Slovenj Gradec: wastewater treatment in the Mislinja River Basin |07/12/2001 |9,018,016 |50.00% |4,509,008 |3,607,206 |0 |1,617,539 | | |2002/SI/16/P/PE/008 |Sava River Basin (Brežice, Krško and Sevnica): wastewater treatment of down stream |18/12/2002 |20,413,156 |50.00% |10,206,578 |4,082,631 |4,082,631 |1,020,658 | | |2000/SI/16/P/PE/006 |Dolensjka region: waste management centre (Novo Mesto) |13/12/2001 |9,943,000 |50.00% |4,971,500 |3,977,200 |0 |497,150 | |Various |2000/SI/16/P/PA/002 |Implementation of GSM-R and ERTLS/ETCS system on railway network |18/12/2000 |1,300,000 |75.00% |975,000 |780,000 |195,000 |750,000 | |V + X |2000/SI/16/P/PT/001 |Renewal of cut Križni vrh with renewal of line section from km 563+346 to km 564+860 on railway line Zidani Most - Maribor |10/11/2000 |13,992,537 |67.00% |9,375,000 |7,500,000 |0 |6,901,760 | |V |2001/SI/16/P/PT/002 |Divaca-Koper: Modernisation of signalling and safety devices on the railway line |20/11/2001 |16,830,600 |50.00% |8,415,300 |6,732,240 |0 |841,530 | |V + X |2002/SI/16/P/PT/003 |Upgrading Ljubljana-Zidani most-Maribor railway |16/09/2002 |25,803,500 |39.00% |10,063,365 |8,050,692 |0 |1,006,336 | |

[1] Bulgária, República Checa, Estónia, Hungria, Letónia, Lituânia, Polónia, Roménia, Eslováquia e Eslovénia

[2] Regulamento (CE) nº 1267/1999 do Conselho de 21 de Junho de 1999

[3] Os termos “medida” e “projecto” são permutáveis e designam a unidade de assistência prestada pelo ISPA aos países beneficiários. Salvo indicação em contrário, referem-se à assistência ao investimento de capitais, bem como às medidas de assistência técnica.

[4] Sistema alargado de execução descentralizada (ver igualmente o ponto 4).

[5] Banco Europeu para a Reconstrução e Desenvolvimento

[6] The terms ‘projects’ and ‘measures’ both designate the unit of ISPA assistance to the beneficiary countries and are used interchangeably in this report. Unless otherwise stated, they refer to assistance for capital investments as well as to technical assistance measures.

[7] Extended decentralised implementation system

[8] COM(2003) 433 of 16.7.2003.

[9] This includes commitments for projects decided in 2003 as well as tranches committed for projects decided in previous years.

[10] This includes commitments for projects decided in 2003 as well as tranches committed for projects decided in previous years.

[11] Water framework directive

[12] International confederation of consulting engineers

( ALAT/LAs salaries and their overheads will be covered until 1st of May 2004 for the 8 Acceding Countries.

[13] Decision 1692/96/EC.

[14] Council Regulation (EC)N° 1266/1999 of 21 June 1999 on co-ordinating aid to the applicant countries in the framework of the pre-accession strategy.

[15] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Councilon the implementation of commitments undertaken by the acceding countries in the context of accession negotiations on chapter 21 - Regional Policy and coordination of structural instruments

(COM(2003) 433 final of 16.7.2003)

[16] Non-governmental organisations

[17] Electronic railway transport monitoring system