2006/62/EC: Council Decision of  23 January 2006  enabling countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, as well as Russia, to benefit from the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) Programme
Date: 2006-01-23
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU financing, EU programme, European neighbourhood policy, Russia, cooperation policy, exchange of information, technical cooperation, third country

L 32/80

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

4.2.2006

COUNCIL DECISION

of 23 January 2006

enabling countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, as well as Russia, to benefit
from the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) Programme

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(5)

(2006/62/EC)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community, and in particular Article 181a(2) thereof,

establishing the European

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

In the area of pre-accession aid, centralised indirect
management has proved a valuable tool in the past, in
particular concerning the operations of the Office for
Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX).

The European Neighbourhood Policy’s (ENP) objective, as
stated in the Commission’s Strategy Paper adopted in
May 2004,
the European
is to share the benefits of
Union’s 2004 enlargement with neighbouring countries
and to use some of
the instruments and experience
gained during the enlargement process to bring partner
to the European Union, aiming at
countries closer
economic
gradual
integration and a deepening of
cooperation. The European Neighbourhood
political
countries should therefore be able to benefit from TAIEX.

At the 15th EU-Russia Summit on 10 May 2005, the EU
and Russia adopted roadmaps for the creation of four
common spaces which set out objectives similar to those
of the ENP, namely to intensify bilateral cooperation and
to pursue regulatory convergence and legislative appro-
ximation towards higher standards.

to the general budget of

Article 54(2) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No
1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation
applicable
the European
Communities (2)
(the Financial Regulation) allows for
the implementation of the Community budget through
specific
centralised
is
requirements
authorised by the basic act of the programme.

implementation, provided this

indirect management

and

sets

for

(6)

(7)

central

A harmonised implementation of the assistance through
TAIEX is necessary. This Decision should therefore follow
the same approach as Council Regulation (EEC) No
3906/89 of 18 December 1989 on economic aid to
and eastern Europe (3)
certain countries of
(Phare), Council Regulation (EC) No 2666/2000 of 5
December 2000 on assistance for Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (4)
(CARDS) and Council Regulation (EC) No 2500/2001
of 17 December 2001 concerning
pre-accession
financial assistance for Turkey (5).

Part of the actions of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom)
No 99/2000 of 29 December 1999 concerning the
provision of assistance to the partner States in eastern
Europe and central Asia (6) falls within the scope of the
Energy
Treaty
the
Community (Euratom Treaty). Such parts
are not
concerned by this Decision,

European Atomic

establishing

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The purpose of this Decision is to enable countries covered by
the European Neighbourhood Policy, as well as Russia, parti-
cularly those with action plans or roadmaps under implemen-
tation, to benefit from assistance through TAIEX, which will
provide
to aid the partner
countries in understanding and drafting legislation related to
the action plans and to help them with implementation and
enforcement.

targeted technical

assistance

(4)

Russia will be eligible for funding under the future
European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument
(ENPI).

(1) Not yet published in the Official Journal.

(2) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 375, 23.12.1989, p. 11. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2257/2004 (OJ L 389, 30.12.2004, p. 1).

(4) OJ L 306, 7.12.2000, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2112/2005 (OJ L 344, 27.12.2005, p. 23).

(5) OJ L 342, 27.12.2001, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2112/2005.
(6) OJ L 12, 18.1.2000, p. 1.

4.2.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 32/81

Article 2

Article 4

Activities authorised by this Decision shall be financed from
budget heading 19 06 01 ‘Assistance to partner countries in
eastern Europe and central Asia’, and the associated budget
heading for administrative costs 19 01 04 07, and budget
heading 19 08 02 01 MEDA (measures
to accompany the
reforms to the economic and social structures in the Mediter-
ranean non-member countries) and the associated budget
heading for administrative costs 19 01 04 06.

Done at Brussels, 23 January 2006.

For the Council
The President

J. PRÖLL

of

the

framework

Euro-Mediterranean

For the purposes of implementing Council Regulation (EC) No
1488/96 of 23 July 1996 on financial and technical measures
to accompany the reform of economic and social structures in
partnership
the
(MEDA) (1) and Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 99/2000,
the
Commission may,
the
in accordance with Article 54(2) of
Financial Regulation, decide
tasks of public
implementation tasks
authority and,
following from such decision to the body implementing the
TAIEX programme implemented under Regulation (EEC) No
3906/89, Regulation (EC) No 2666/2000 and Regulation (EC)
No 2500/2001.

in particular, budget

to entrust

Article 3

This Decision shall not apply to those parts of actions imple-
mented pursuant to Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 99/2000 that
fall within the scope of the Euratom Treaty.

(1) OJ L 189, 30.7.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2112/2005.