Tacis Programme

http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/ceeca/tacis/

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/cgi/frame12.pl

Overview

Launched by the EC in 1991, the Tacis Programme provides grant-financed technical assistance to 12 countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan), and mainly aims at enhancing the transition process in these countries. (Mongolia was also covered by the Tacis programme from 1991 to 2003, but is now covered by the ALA programme.)

1. Historical background

When Tacis was initiated, technical assistance was a stand-alone activity, whereas the programme is now part of a complex and evolving relationship with each of the 12 countries concerned. Politicians and officials from the partner countries and the EU meet now on a regular basis. With the implementation of PCAs, Tacis also becomes a more strategic instrument in the co-operation process between EU and partner countries.

2. Tacis legal basis

The current Regulation, concerning the provision of assistance to the partner states in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, covers the years 2000-2006 (Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 99/2000 of 29 December 1999).

The current regulation is based on an understanding that co-operation is a reciprocal process, encouraging a move from ‘demand-driven’ to ‘dialogue-driven’ programming. More flexibility in the way that Tacis is structured allows potential technical assistance to be mobilised and implemented according to the capacity of each partner country.

The 2000 Regulation concentrates Tacis activities on fewer areas of cooperation:

· Support for institutional, legal and administrative reform;

· Support to the private sector and assistance for economic development;

· Support in addressing the social consequences of transition;

· Development of infrastructure networks;

· Promotion of environmental protection and management of natural resources;

· Development of the rural economy;

· Support for nuclear safety, where applicable.

The areas where Tacis funding is used are designed to complement each other, and each national or multi-country programme focuses on no more than three of the above mentioned fields (plus nuclear safety, where appropriate), so that each can be most effective.

The Regulation also focuses on projects of sufficient scale (projects of at least €2 million in Russia and Ukraine and €1 million in the other partner countries) and supports the objectives of the PCAs.

As the present Tacis regulation is due to expire at the end of 2006, the Commission services are currently in the process of devising proposals for a new Tacis concept and regulation.

3. Programming cycle

As for the other regions in which the EC provides cooperation funding, the basic framework for the programming and identification of Tacis activities consists of:

(a) strategy papers for Eastern European and Central Asian partner countries as well as multi-country programmes are established for a period of five to seven years. They define the long-term objectives for cooperation and identify the strategic priorities and the specific fields of action.

(b) multiannual indicative programmes, usually for three years, based on the strategy papers, are drawn up for each country, regional, or multi-country programme. They contain a description of sectoral and cross-cutting issues, specific objectives and expected results.

(c) annual or biennial action programmes, based on the multiannual indicative programmes, are drawn up for each country, region, or multi-country programme eligible for Community cooperation. They set out, as precisely as possible, the aims being pursued, the fields of action and the budget provided for a given year. They contain a list of cooperation activities to be financed by the Community.

The Tacis regional programme addresses in particular areas such as the environment, trade and transport, and Justice and Home Affairs-related issues where cooperation among the countries of the region is most important. The Tacis cross-border programme promotes co-operation and the development of links between neighbouring communities in different countries. Tacis nuclear safety activities are also covered in a single, regional programming document, taking account of the technically very complex issues arising in that context. Each of these regional programmes has its own strategy paper, indicative and action programme.

The current Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) and Indicative Programmes (IPs) cover the period 2002-2006. Most CSPs and Regional Strategy Papers (RSPs), covering the period 2002-2006, together with the Indicative Programmes (IPs) 2002-2003 were adopted in 2002. Updated IPs, covering the period 2004-2006 were, in most cases, adopted in 2003.

In particular situations, financing decisions covering specific cooperation measures not included in annual or biennial action programmes may be drawn up. This is the case for specific contributions to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund and the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership.

4. Tendering process

Once agreed by the Member States, technical assistance projects are put out to tender. Organisations from the EU (and also the from the accession countries) are selected to implement projects, transferring their know-how to beneficiaries in the partner countries.

EuropeAid Co-operation Office