APPENDIX 3
Invitation for evidence, May 1998
TACIS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Sub-Committee C is conducting an enquiry into environmental
aspects of the Tacis Programme of European Union technical assistance
for economic reform and recovery in the New Independent States
(NIS) of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia.
Key reference documents include: the Commission's
Annual Report for 1996 on the Tacis Programme (COM(97)400 Final);
the Court of Auditors' Annual Report for 1996 (OJ No C348,
18 November 1997), Chapter 14; the Tacis Interim Evaluation
Report (European Commission, DG IA, June 1997); and various
reports by the European Parliament and its committees.
Written evidence is invited on the effectiveness
of Tacis in promoting knowhow and investment in environmental
protection and improvement in the NIS, other than in the nuclear
safety field, with particular reference to the European sector
of the Russian Federation and the Ukraine. Besides official organisations,
the SubCommittee will be particularly interested to hear
from people or organisations (eg NGOs) with direct
experience of Tacis projects in the field. It will wish to consider
the following issues, among others:
1. the nature and scale of environmental
problems in the NIS;
2. the priorities for action under the Tacis
Programme;
3. the relationship between Tacis and other
forms of Official Development Assistance (ODA), eg EBRD,
World Bank, UK Know-How Fund and other bilateral aid;
4. the success of Partnership and Cooperation
Agreements in providing a satisfactory framework for environmental
programmes and projects;
5. the new emphasis on environment in the
1996 Tacis Regulation and whether it is starting to show results;
6. whether Tacis can truly be described
as a "people to people" programme (Commissioner Hans
van den Broek): how far are its aims frustrated by complex procedures,
institutional barriers and long chains of command between the
Commission and NIS governments?
7. the Commission's organisation and the
resources needed, in Brussels and in the field, for efficient
management of the programme;
8. the steps being taken to address the
criticisms of the European Court of Auditors and the European
Parliament and to follow up the recommendations of the Interim
Evaluation Report;
9. how to obtain best value from consultants
and at the same time to ensure "ownership" on the part
of the beneficiaries in the NIS;
10. the strength and influence of environmental
NGOs in the NIS: the success of Tacis and other ODA in building
NGO capacity and increasing environmental awareness among the
general public;
11. whether there are lessons to be learned from
experience with PHARE which could usefully be applied to Tacis;
and
12. the role of the European Environment Agency
in relation to Tacis.
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