Amended proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Regulation (EC) No 1628/96 relating to aid for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in particular through the setting-up of the European Agency for Reconstruction
Date: 1999-11-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Yugoslavia, cooperation policy, economic reconstruction

28.11.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 337 E/1

II

(Preparatory Acts)

COMMISSION

Amended proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Regulation (EC) No 1628/96 relating to
aid for Bosnia and Herzogovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Jugoslavia and the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in particular through the setting-up of the European Agency
for Reconstruction (1)

(2000/C 337 E/01)

COM(1999) 609 final (cid:25) 1999/0132(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty on 12 January 2000)

(1) OJ C 21 E, 25.1.2000, p. 13.

INITIAL PROPOSAL

AMENDED PROPOSAL

Recital 7

for Kosovo’s

the specific requirements

Regulation (EC) No 1628/96 should be amended to take
account of
recon-
struction, which will demand the rapid implementation of
numerous small-scale projects, measures to support returning
refugees and the assistance of experts covering a wide range of
fields. Provisions should therefore be laid down for setting up
and running a European Agency for reconstruction (hereinafter
that can be charged by the
referred to as the 9Agency:)
Commission
reconstruction
programmes;

implementing

with

the

for Kosovo’s

the specific requirements

Regulation (EC) No 1628/96 should be amended to take
account of
recon-
struction, which will demand the rapid implementation of
numerous small-scale projects, measures to support returning
refugees and the assistance of experts covering a wide range of
fields. These projects should be accompanied by support for
democratic institutions and civil society, the judicial, the media,
education, and welfare and health systems. Provisions should
therefore be laid down for setting up and running a European
Agency for
the
9Agency:)
that can be charged by the Commission with
implementing the reconstruction programmes;

reconstruction (hereinafter

referred to as

Recital 7a

The reconstruction efforts must combine with those of the
people of Kosovo.

Recital 9

Reconstruction assistance should be coordinated with the
European Investment Bank,
insti-
tutions, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees.

the international

financial

Reconstruction assistance should be coordinated with the
European Investment Bank,
insti-
tutions, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees and the relevant non-governmental organisations.

the international

financial

Article 14, third subparagraph

Any decision to extend the Agency’s activities to parts of the
FRY other than Kosovo, which shall include the arrangements
for identifying the bodies referred to in Article 3, shall be taken
by the Council acting by a qualified majority on a proposal
from the Commission. In the light of that decision, the Agency
may estabish other operational centres.

Any decision to extend the Agency’s activities to parts of the
FRY other than Kosovo, which shall include the arrangements
for identifying the bodies referred to in Article 3, shall be taken
by the Council acting by a qualified majority on a proposal
from the Commission and after consultation of the European
Parliament.
the Agency may
estabish other operational centres.

In the light of

that decision,

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Official Journal of the European Communities

28.11.2000

INITIAL PROPOSAL

AMENDED PROPOSAL

Article 15(1)(c)

(c) Implementing the programmes provided for in the third
subparagraph of Article 10(1),
cooperating wherever
possible with the local population and where necessary
drawing on the services of operators selected by calls for
tender. The Commission may accordingly make the Agency
responsible for all operations required to implement the
programmes, notably:

Unchanged

(otherwise unchanged)

Article 17(11)

Unchanged

The Governing Board shall lay down the principles necessary
for implementation of the reconstruction programmes. On a
proposal by the Director, it shall decide upon the main issues
relating to the Agency’s activities, e.g.:

D proposals for programmes by other donors for possible

implementation by the Agency;

D setting the multiannual contractual

framework with the
provisional authority responsible for the administration of
Kosovo, to implement the aid decided on in the framework
of the programmes referred to in Article 10;

D whether representatives of the countries and organisations
their programmes to the
delegating implementation of
Agency should be present as observers on its Governing
Board.

The Governing Board shall be consulted on:

D draft programmes to be submitted to the Commission;

D the methods of evaluating and properly implementing the

projects;

D the finalisation, any adjustments to, and implementation of

projects;

Article 18(1)

The Director of the Agency for a term of office of thirty
1.
months. The term of office may be terminated by the same
procedure.

The Director of the Agency shall be appointed by the
1.
Commission for a term of office of thirty months. The term
of office may be terminated by the same procedure.

Article 20(4)

4.
The Governing Board, after receiving the opinion of the
Commission, shall adopt the budget of the Agency together
with the work programme at the beginning of each financial
year, adjusting it to the various contributions granted to the
Agency and to funds from other sources. The budget shall also
specify the number, grade and categories of staff employed by
the Agency during the financial year in question.

Unchanged

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 337 E/3

INITIAL PROPOSAL

AMENDED PROPOSAL

In the interests of budgetary transparency, funds from sources
other than the Community budget shall appear separately in
and
the Agency’s
personnel expenditure shall be clearly separated from the
programme’s operating expenditure in the statement of expen-
diture.

revenue. Administrative

statement of

Article 25

The Commission shall submit to the Council before 30 June
2000 a progress report on the implementation of this Regu-
lation; it may if appropriate make proposals, notably with a
view to establishing a unified regulatory framework for
assistance to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia.

The Commission shall submit to the Council before 30 June
2000 a progress report on the implementation of this Regu-
lation; it may if appropriate make proposals, notably with a
view to establishing a unified regulatory framework for
assistance to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Former Yugoslav
to extending the
Republic of Macedonia
Agency’s activities to areas other than those referred to in
Article 14.

and, possibly,

Declaration by the Council and the Commission on Article 16

The location of the Agency’s seat in Thessaloniki will facilitate
coordination with other instances with responsibilities in the
Balkans, and in particular the coordinator of the Stability Pact.

Unchanged

the Governing Board will

Meetings of
the
Agency’s
seat. The seat will house the Agency’s general
including those handling legal affairs
service departments,
and litigation, and the central departments responsible for
administration,
and
auditing,
information to businesses.

take place at

publications

accounting,