Predlog SKLEP SVETA o prilagoditvi finančnih virov 9. Evropskega razvojnega sklada glede na pristop Demokratične republike Timor-Leste k Sporazumu o partnerstvu AKP-ES

(predlozena s strani Komisije)

Explanatory memorandum

On 16 May 2003 [1], Timor-Leste was accepted as a signatory to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, hereinafter called the Cotonou Agreement. The Decision of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers approving accession stipulated that Timor-Leste would not have immediate access to the resources of the 9th European Development Fund (EDF), but would only benefit, as a temporary special arrangement, from funds earmarked for regional cooperation.

[1] Decision No 1/2003 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 16 May 2003 regarding the accession of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (O.J. L 141, 7.6.2003, p.25)

The Joint Council Decision did not take account of the fact that after ratification of the Cotonou Agreement, Timor-Leste will no longer qualify for the development assistance which has been provided until now under Council Regulation 443/92 (the ALA Regulation) [2]. So far Timor-Leste has not ratified the Cotonou Agreement.

[2] Article 1 of the ALA Regulation: "The Community shall continue and broaden Community cooperation with the Asian and Latin American developing countries, hereinafter referred to as 'the ALA developing countries', which are not signatories to the Lomé Convention (or mutatis mutandis of the Cotonou Agreement) and do not benefit from the Community's cooperation policy with Mediterranean third countries....".

In order to enable Timor-Leste to ratify and become a full Party to the Agreement, the Commission proposes to make funds available from the 9th EDF to meet the development needs of Timor-Leste until the successor to the 9th EDF enters into force.

Article 1 of the Financial Protocol to the Cotonou Agreement lays down the overall amount of the Community's financial assistance to the ACP States which originally signed the Agreement. Since Council Decision No 1/2003 of 16 May 2003 approved the accession of Timor-Leste to the Cotonou Agreement and since, pursuant to Article 94(1) of that Agreement, the accession of a State may not infringe on the benefits enjoyed by the ACP States signatory to the said Agreement under the provisions on development cooperation financing, the Commission proposes that the EU Council of Ministers, in accordance with Article 62(2)(a) of the Cotonou Agreement [3] and Article 1(5) of the Internal Agreement on the Financing and Administration of Community Aid under the Financial Protocol to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (2000/770/EC) [4], adjust the overall amount of the Community's financial assistance to the ACP States under the 9th EDF to allow Timor-Leste to benefit from EDF funds for the rest of the period covered by the 9th EDF.

[3] "..... Adjustment of the financial resources shall (also) apply upon the accession to the Agreement of new ACP States".

[4] "Financial resources may also be adjusted, by a decision of the Council acting unanimously, in accordance with Article 62-(2) of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement".

In order to maintain the level of assistance to be committed for Timor-Leste in 2005 under the ALA Regulation, namely EUR9 million, the financial resources required to cover Timor-Leste's development needs during the transition period until the successor to the 9th EDF enters into force are estimated at EUR18 million.

Predlog SKLEP SVETA o prilagoditvi finančnih virov 9. Evropskega razvojnega sklada glede na pristop Demokratične republike Timor-Leste k Sporazumu o partnerstvu AKP-ES

SVET EVROPSKE UNIJE JE -

ob upostevanju Pogodbe o ustanovitvi Evropske skupnosti,

ob upostevanju predloga Komisije [5],

[5] UL C [...], [...], str. [...].

ob upostevanju Sporazuma o partnerstvu AKP-ES, podpisanega v Cotonouju 23. junija 2000,

ob upostevanju notranjega sporazuma med predstavniki vlad drzav članic, ki so se sestali v okviru Sveta, o financiranju in upravljanju pomoči Skupnosti na podlagi Finančnega protokola k Sporazumu o partnerstvu AKP-ES in zlasti člena 1(5) notranjega sporazuma,

ob upostevanju naslednjega:

(1) S Sklepom st. 1/2003 Sveta ministrov AKP-ES z dne 16. maja 2003 je Timor-Leste postal podpisnik Sporazuma o partnerstvu AKP-ES. V tem sklepu je določeno, da Timor-Leste nima neposrednega dostopa do virov 9. Evropskega razvojnega sklada (ERS), ampak je v okviru začasnega, posebnega dogovora upravičen samo do sredstev, namenjenih za regionalno sodelovanje.

(2) Sklep Sveta ni uposteval dejstva, da po ratifikaciji sporazuma iz Cotonouja Timor-Leste ne bo več upravičen do razvojne pomoči, ki je bila doslej določena na podlagi Uredbe Sveta 443/92 (Uredba ALA).

(3) Tretji odstavek člena 94(1) Sporazuma o partnerstvu AKP-ES določa, da ima drzava, ki pristopa k temu sporazumu, enake pravice in dolznosti kot drzave AKP. Njen pristop ne sme pomeniti krsitev pravic, ki jih imajo drzave AKP, ki so podpisnice Sporazuma, na podlagi določb o financiranju razvojnega sodelovanja.

(4) Člen 62(2)(a) določa, da pogodbenice prilagodijo zneske virov iz Finančnega protokola, določenega v Prilogi I, po pristopu novih drzav AKP k Sporazumu, ki niso sodelovale v pogajanjih o njem. Člen 1(5) notranjega sporazuma določa, da se lahko finančni viri prilagodijo tudi s soglasnim sklepom Sveta v skladu s členom 62(2) Sporazuma o partnerstvu AKP-ES.

(5) Da bi Timor-Leste lahko ratificiral Sporazum AKP-ES in postal polnopravni pogodbenik Sporazuma, se predlaga, da se zagotovi sredstva iz 9. ERS, da bi se zadovoljilo razvojne potrebe drzave Timor-Leste, dokler ne začne veljati naslednik 9. ERS.

(6) Finančni viri, ki bi bili potrebni za zadovoljitev razvojnih potreb drzave Timor-Leste v prehodnem obdobju do začetka veljavnosti naslednika 9. ERS so ocenjena na 18 milijonov EUR -

SKLENIL:

Člen 1

Drzave članice prilagodijo finančne vire 9. ERS, določene v členu 1 notranjega sporazuma, s povečanjem za 18 milijonov EUR.

Ta znesek bodo tvorili naslednji prispevki drzav članic:

Drzava članica // Prispevek v mio EUR

Belgija // 0,71

Danska // 0,39

Nemčija // 4,20

Grčija // 0,23

Španija // 1,05

Francija // 4,37

Irska // 0,11

Italija // 2,26

Luksemburg // 0,05

Nizozemska // 0,94

Avstrija // 0,48

Portugalska // 0,17

Finska // 0,27

Švedska // 0,49

Zdruzeno kraljestvo // 2,28

// 18,00

Člen 2

Ta odločba začne veljati z dnem sprejetja. Posreduje se Svetu ministrov AKP.

V Bruslju,

Za Svet

Predsednik