Regulation (EC) No 955/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 May 2002 extending and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 on decentralised cooperation
Date: 2002-05-13
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: cooperation policy, decentralisation, developing countries, development aid

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 148/1

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(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

REGULATION (EC) No 955/2002 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

extending and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 on decentralised cooperation

of 13 May 2002

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 179(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (2),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Council Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 of 17 July 1998
on decentralised cooperation (3)
is applicable until 31
December 2001.

The importance of a decentralised approach to develop-
ment cooperation has now also been emphasised in the
ACP-EC Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on
23 June 2000.

Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 lays down, for its entire
duration, a financial framework constituting the prime
reference, within the meaning of point 33 of the Interin-
stitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the Euro-
pean Parliament, the Council and the Commission on
budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary
procedure (4),
for the budgetary authority during the
annual budgetary procedure.

The measures necessary for the implementation of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1659/98 should be adopted in accord-
ance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June
1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of
implementing powers conferred on the Commission (5).

The establishment of a future strategic framework for
decentralised cooperation will require an assessment of
the operations financed by the Community under Regu-
lation (EC) No 1659/98 in particular and a wide-ranging
debate on decentralised cooperation in general.

(1) OJ C 51 E, 26.2.2002, p. 316.
(2) Opinion of the European Parliament of 14 March 2002 (not yet
published in the Official Journal) and Decision of the Council of
25 April 2002.

(3) OJ L 213, 30.7.1998, p. 6.
(4) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

(6)

(7)

Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 should be extended until
31 December 2003 and the financial allocation and
reference period indicated in Article 4(1) adjusted.

Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 should be amended accord-
ingly,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article 3 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 3

The cooperation partners eligible for
financial support
under this Regulation shall be decentralised cooperation
agents in the Community or the developing countries,
namely: local authorities, non-governmental organisations,
organisations of indigenous peoples, local traders' associa-
tions and local citizens' groups, cooperatives, trade unions,
women's and youth organisations, teaching, cultural and
research organisations and institutions, churches and any
non-governmental associations likely to contribute to devel-
opment.’

2. Article 4(1) shall be replaced by the following:

The financial framework for the implementation of
‘1.
this Regulation for the period 1999 to 2003 is hereby set at
EUR 24 million.

The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the
the financial
budgetary authority within the limits of
perspective.’

3. Article 8 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 8

The Commission shall be assisted by the geographi-
for development

1.
cally determined Committee competent
(hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”).

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Official Journal of the European Communities

6.6.2002

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4
and 7 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999
laying down the procedures for the exercise of
imple-
menting powers conferred on the Commission (*) shall
apply, having regard to Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/
468/EC shall be set at one month.

‘As part of the annual report to the European Parliament
and the Council on the implementation of development
policy, the Commission shall present a summary of the
operations financed and an evaluation of the implementa-
tion of this Regulation during the year, as well as details
the decentralised cooperation actors with whom
of
contracts have been concluded.’

3.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

6. Article 12 shall be replaced by the following:

(*) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.’

4. Article 9 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 9

Every two years,

in accordance with the procedure
1.
referred to in Article 8(2) and (3), the Commission shall
review its strategic guidelines and adopt priorities for the
implementation of operations in the years ahead. It shall
inform the European Parliament thereof.

2.
The programming of aid provided pursuant to this
Regulation shall, as far as possible, closely complement
and be
consistent with aid provided under other
Community development cooperation instruments and
take particular account of the cooperation strategy with
the country or region concerned.’

5. The first two paragraphs of Article 10 shall be replaced

by the following:

‘Article 12

Eight months at least before this Regulation expires, the
Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and
the operations
the Council an overall assessment of
financed by
this Regulation,
accompanied by suggestions concerning the continuing
promotion of decentralised cooperation and the involve-
ment of civil society.’

the Community under

7. The second paragraph of Article 13 shall be replaced by

the following:

‘It shall apply until 31 December 2003.’

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter
into force on the third day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States.

Done at Brussels, 13 May 2002.

For the European Parliament

The President

P. COX

For the Council

The President

J. PIQUÉ I CAMPS