Regulation (EC) No 625/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 extending and amending Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 on decentralised cooperation
Date: 2004-03-31
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: cooperation policy, decentralisation, developing countries, development aid

3.4.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

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(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

REGULATION (EC) No 625/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

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

of 31 March 2004

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO-
PEAN UNION,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

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

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Article 1

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (1),

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

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Council Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 of 17 July 1998
on decentralised cooperation (2) was applied until 31
December 2001.

Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 was amended and extended
until 31 December 2003 by Regulation (EC) No 955/
2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

An evaluation completed in 2003 has led to the conclu-
sion that the budget line concerned should be more
focused.

The decentralised cooperation instrument has a specific
added value for the purposes of supporting operations in
specific situations and difficult partnerships where tradi-
tional instruments cannot be used or are not relevant,
and in terms of the support it provides for the diversifi-
cation of decentralised actors as potential partners in the
development process.

Regulation (EC) No 1659/98 should be amended and
extended until 31 December 2006 following the
completion of the evaluation and the adoption of the
Commission Communication on the participation of
non-State actors in Community development policy. The
financial framework and reference period indicated in
that Regulation should be adjusted.

(6)

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

(1) Opinion of the European Parliament of 18 December 2003 (not yet
published in the Official Journal) and Council decision of 4 March
2004.

(2) OJ L 213, 30.7.1998, p. 6. Regulation as amended by Regulation
(EC) No 955/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(OJ L 148, 6.6.2002, p. 1).

1. Article 1 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 1

The Community shall support operations and initiatives
undertaken by decentralised cooperation agents of the Com-
munity and the developing countries centred on poverty
reduction and sustainable development, particularly in situa-
tions involving difficult partnerships where other instru-
ments cannot be used. Such operations and initiatives shall
promote:

— a more participatory approach to development, respon-
sive to the needs and initiatives of the populations in the
developing countries,

— a contribution to the diversification and reinforcement
of civil society and grassroots democracy in the coun-
tries concerned.

In supporting such operations and initiatives, priority shall
be given to decentralised cooperation agents of the devel-
oping countries. All developing countries shall be eligible
for operations to promote decentralised cooperation.’

2. Article 2 is amended as follows:

(a) the second indent is replaced by the following:

‘— information and the mobilisation of decentralised
cooperation agents and participation in international
fora to enhance dialogue on policy formulation,’:

(b) the following indent is inserted after the third indent:

‘— strengthening the networks of social organisations
and movements campaigning for sustainable devel-
in particular social rights,
opment, human rights,
and democratisation,’.

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Official Journal of the European Union

3.4.2004

3. Article 3 is replaced by the following:

(b) the following indent is added to paragraph 3:

‘Article 3

1.
The cooperation partners eligible for financial support
pursuant to this Regulation shall be decentralised coopera-
tion agents in the Community or the developing countries,
such as: local (including municipal) authorities, non-govern-
mental organisations, organisations of indigenous peoples,
local traders' associations and local citizens' groups, coop-
eratives, trade unions, economic and social actors organisa-
tions,
local organisations (including networks) which are
active in the area of regional decentralised cooperation and
integration, consumer organisations, women's and youth
organisations,
research and scientific
organisations, universities, churches and religious associa-
tions or communities, media and any non-governmental
associations and independent foundations likely to contri-
bute to development.

teaching, cultural,

The activities of the agents associated with the objec-
2.
tives of this Regulation shall be transparent and comply
with the principles of sound financial management and
accountability.’

4. Article 4 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 4

Community financing of
the operations referred to in
Article 1 shall cover a period of three years. The financial
framework for the implementation of this programme for
the period 2004 to 2006 shall be EUR 18 million.

The annual appropriations
budgetary authority within the limits of
perspective.’

shall be authorised by the
the financial

5. Article 7 is amended as follows:

(a) in paragraph 2 ‘ECU’ is replaced by ‘EUR’;

‘— particular needs of countries where official coopera-
tion is unable to contribute significantly to the
objectives defined in Article 1.’

6. Article 8(1) is replaced by the following:

‘1.
The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee
set up in accordance with Article 8 of Council Regulation
(EC) No 1658/98 of 17 July 1998 on co-financing opera-
tions with European non-governmental development organi-
sations (NGOs) in fields of interest to the developing coun-
tries (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”). (*)

(*) OJ L 213, 30.7.1998, p. 1. Regulation as amended by
Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parlia-
ment and of the Council (OJ l 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1).’

7. Article 10 is amended as follows:

(a) the first paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘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, the impacts and results of such
operations and an independent evaluation of the imple-
mentation of this Regulation during the year, as well as
details of
the decentralised cooperation actors with
whom contracts have been concluded.’;

(b) in the second paragraph ‘ECU’ is replaced by ‘EUR’.

8. The second paragraph of Article 13 is replaced by the

following:
‘It shall apply until 31 December 2006.’

Article 2

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

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

Done at Strasbourg, 31 March 2004.

For the European Parliament

The President

P. COX

For the Council

The President

D. ROCHE