CELEX: 51988PC0397
Language: en
Date: 1988-07-25
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION DETERMINING GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR 1989 FOR FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO LATIN AMERICAN AND ASIAN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

26. 8. 88                             Official Journal of the European Communities                              N o C 222/5
                                                             II
                                                     (Preparatory Acts)
                                                COMMISSION
             Proposal for a Council Decision determining general guidelines for 1989 for financial and
                         technical assistance to Latin American and Asian developing countries
                                                    COM(88) 397 final
                                     (Submitted by the Commission on 29 July 1988)
                                                       (88/C 222/07)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                         services and operations in the sphere of social infra-
                                                                 structure as well as training of farmers and middle-level
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European            staff within the projects and programmes which have
Economic Community,                                              been adopted. Encouragement will equally be given to
                                                                 the least-developed countries in looking for jointventure
                                                                 exercises with Community enterprises.
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 442/81
of 17 February 1981 on financial and technical aid to
non-associated developing countries (x) and in particular
Article 9 (2) thereof,                                           Support for regional integration efforts will be main-
                                                                 tained and stepped up in all sectors in which Community
                                                                 support can make a positive contribution.
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard      to  the   opinion   of   the  European        Aid will be tailored to the needs and priorities of each
Parliament,                                                      country and each region.
Whereas general guidelines should be determined for the
administration by the Commission of financial and                In Asia particular attention will be paid to the need for a
technical assistance to Latin American and Asian                 transfer of capital, with a view to increasing productive
developing countries in 1989;                                    investment in particular in the rural sector, as well as the
                                                                 need to improve the living standards of the neediest
Whereas at the close of the conference held in Hamburg           sections of the population.
in February 1988 (San Jose IV) the Community
confirmed its support to the process of democratization
in the various countries of Central America,                     In Latin America particular attention will be paid to
                                                                 reducing social disparities, through support for pilot
                                                                 projects to promote land reform efforts by calling on the
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:                                          potential of rural communities for self-management.
                         Article 1
                 Objectives and priorities                       Community aid to Central America at both regional and
                                                                 national level will be given special attention.
Community aid should be concentrated on helping the
poorest countries and the neediest sections of the popu-
lation.                                                          Ad hoc training projects may be considered in countries
                                                                 where they constitute a necessary preliminary to other
Priority will be given to the rural sector and, in               activities.
particular, to measures aimed at improving the food
situation, as a contribution towards the campaign to
combat hunger in the world. Within the rural sector              Wherever possible, Community aid will be used to
special attention will be paid to production, support            prepare and implement agricultural policies (food
                                                                 strategies) incorporating Community food aid where
0) OJ No L 48, 21. 2. 1981, p. 8.                                necessary.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 222/'6                            Official Journal of the European Communities                                 26. 8. 88
In exceptional circumstances aid may be allocated for             where appropriate, in accordance with Regulation (EEC)
infrastructure in least-developed countries where short-          No 442/81 and all other applicable provisions.
comings handicap rural development.
                                                                  The allocation of funds shall take account of:
                         Article 2                                — the intrinsic value to development and the degree to
                                                                      which intervention corresponds to the priorities of
                   Budget appropriations                              the recipient countries and regions and the needs of
                                                                      the poorest sections of the population,
There shall be separate budget appropriations for the
implementation of financial and technical cooperation in          — the income levels and development needs of the
Asia and in Latin America.                                            recipient countries, funding provided in previous
                                                                      years and the experience gained in implementing past
Reserves common to Asia and Latin Amercia will be set                 aid,
up for the specific operations referred to in Article 5: the
specified percentage indicated in Article 5 will be used          — cooperation agreements concluded with certain
from each of the two budget appropriations.                           recipient countries or groups of recipient countries.
                         Article 3                                The Commission and the Member States will continue to
                                                                  make strong efforts to increase the volume of
     Measures to deal with exceptional circumstances              cofinancing, in particular between the Community and
                                                                  the Member States as well as other countries and
The part of the aid to be earmarked, pursuant to Article          organizations.
3 (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 442/81, to deal with
exceptional circumstances, in particular projects which
                                                                                            Article 5
concern reconstruction following disasters, will be
limited to a maximum of 10 % of the available funds                                    Special provisions
referred to in Article 2, thus making it possible to
provide an adequate response to needs which are                   The Community shall support agricultural research in
difficult to forecast.                                            Asia and Latin America at all levels. The upper limit for
                                                                  international research shall be 3 % of the funds referred
                         Article 4                                to Article 2.
                   Implementation of aid                          The upper limit for the cost of administering the 1989
                                                                  programme (use of outside experts, provision of
Aid shall be granted for projects or programmes,                  specialists) shall be 2 % of the funds referred to in
including integrated projects and sectoral programmes,            Article 2.