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Thessaloniki outcome

Confirmed prospective EU membership, financial assistance for priorities, enhanced institution building, TAIEX support, environmental projects. Participation in community programs. Progress reports on SAP, Croatia, Macedonia, DABLAS, infrastructure projects, EU Water Initiative. Future outlook on pre-accession instruments and LIFE+ program.

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Thessaloniki outcome

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  1. Thessaloniki outcome • Confirmed prospective EU membership • Stabilisation and Association Process remains the policy framework • Enrich SAP with elements from enlargement

  2. Enhancements • European Partnerships – identify priorities and timetable for achieving them. Financial assistance will support these priorities • Enhanced support for institution building • Twinning and TAIEX • Participation in Community programmes and agencies

  3. European Partnerships • Identify priorities • Short term (1-2 years) • Medium term (3-4 years) • Environmental examples include • Implement/develop EIA legislation • Prepare financial strategy - increase investment • Strengthen administrative capacity (inspection) • Future assistance to target these priorities

  4. Technical Assistance & Information Exchange -TAIEX • Now operating in SEE ! • Mission statement: • “Its aim is to provide toadministrations of the Western Balkans, short-term technical assistance, in line with the overall policy objectives of the European Commission, and in the field of approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation” • Mandate • Transposition/Implementation/Enforcement • Training to increase administrative capacity • Information products, on-going monitoring

  5. What and who for? • Assistance through: • Seminars/Workshops, experts’ missions, study visits, training, documentation • Beneficiaries • Central Administrations, Parliament, judiciary/law enforcement, regional/local authorities, private sector associations, social partners • Demand driven ! (www.taiex.be)

  6. Participation in programmes and agencies • Commission communication issued last December COM(2003) 748. • Framework agreements being prepared and ratified. • Participation in the activities of the European Environment Agency underpinned. • Future of LIFE+ (post 2006) to be decided.

  7. Progress Reports • Third annual SAP report issued in March 2004 • Progress • Limited structural and administrative reforms. • Recognition of REReP (PEIP and continued Commission support) • SAP feasibility study for BiH • Commission opinion for Croatia

  8. EU Enlargement • Croatia • Commission opinion highlighted environment as potentially a problem sector • Now a candidate • Negotiations to open early 2005 • Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia • On the basis of a questionnaire Commission opinion to be issued second half of 2005

  9. Danube-Black Sea (DABLAS) • Half of the 30 priority projects moved forward with 6 now fully funded • Second phase will open for new projects • Danube Investment Support facility now underway and Balkan Project Preparation Committee Officer to be funded by Italy • Presented to Danube Foreign Ministers in July 2004.

  10. Infrastructure Steering Group • ISG to pay increasing attention to environmental issues • Priority Environmental Investment Programme • water projects will be offered to the DABLAS Task Force • IFIs could quickly screen projects to identify financially viable; • DABLAS type mechanism could be considered by ISG for water projects outside of the current geographical scope i.e. Albania and Macedonia, Adriatic Sea.

  11. Other initiatives • EU Water Initiative (EUWI) • Umbrella for co-ordination of actions contributing to the achievement of the water-related Millennium Development Goals • Joint WFD/EUWI process being developed • EU's main input to achieving the water-related MDGs • SEE Regional Electricity Market • binding legal agreement • Opens up electricity market and phases-in EU environmental norms and standards

  12. The future • EU member states must decide on financial perspectives (2007-2013) • CARDS and pre-accession instruments (Phare, SAPARD, ISPA) to be replaced by a single pre-accession instrument. • Follow-up to current LIFE programme (LIFE+) being considered. • CARDS programming for 2005-2006 to be finalised

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