EU steunt Kosovo met nieuwe fondsen (en)
The European Commission has adopted today a decision to provide Kosovo with an additional €16 million of assistance to be implemented by the European Agency for Reconstruction in Pristina. These extra funds will provide further EU support to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) for the implementation of the Kosovo "Standards Work Plans".
Over €11 million have been earmarked for economic and social infrastructure in Kosovo's municipalities, showing the highest level of engagement in the implementation of the strategy for returns, full integration of all communities and achievement of the multi-ethnic Kosovo benchmarks of the "Standards before Status" policy. Furthermore, approximately €5 million will be dedicated to the development of an initial sewage treatment and disposal programme which will improve the environment and public health and well-being of the people of Kosovo.
This supplementary assistance brings the total amount of Community Assistance for Reconstruction Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) programme in 2003 to a total amount of over €76 million devoted mostly to the support of institution building and socio-economic development of Kosovo.
This direct assistance is complemented by the participation of Kosovo in the 2003 CARDS Regional programme which has been allocated €31.5 million for the Western Balkans as a whole, offered by the European Union to boost regional co-operation in South East Europe. The letter of Award for the Regional programme was signed between the European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Harri Holkeri, in September this year.
Background
Kosovo:
Since 1999, the European Union has been the largest assistance donor to Kosovo(1), providing over €1.6 billion to finance reconstruction, economic revitalisation, institution building and social development, building on early humanitarian assistance.
On February 2000, the European Agency for Reconstruction was entrusted by the Commission with the responsibility to implement the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) specifically designed for Kosovo. The Agency manages a portfolio of over €900 million to help reform and modernise Kosovo's institutions, and provide a better life for the people of Kosovo.
The Western Balkans:
In 1999, the European Union developed a framework policy for relations with the countries of the Western Balkans - the Stabilisation and Association process (SAP) - with the aim of promoting stability in the region whilst facilitating closer association with the EU. In 2000, it explicitly recognised Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro as potential candidates for EU membership.
The CARDS Programme supports the Balkan countries in this process. For the period 2000 - 2006, € 4.65 billion have been programmed to assist the five countries and Kosovo in progressing towards European Integration.
For more information please refer to:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/cards/index_en.htm
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations
(1) under international civil administration in line with UNSCR 1244
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