ANNEX D
MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEES AND
OTHER GROUPS
Phare Committee
Committee considers country operational programmes,
rather than individual projects, though it does consider cross-border
programmes. Meets about eight times a year.
TACIS Committee
Examines projects and country programmes under
TACIS. Meets about six times a year.
Asia Latin America (ALA) Committee
Meets approximately monthly to consider projects
under the ALA programme. So far it has not had a role in considering
country strategies but, following pressure from member states,
this is expected to start from 1998.
Mediterranean Committee
Examines projects and country programmes financed
from the MEDA budget line.
EDF Committee
Normally meets monthly. Considers country programmes
and projects submitted by the Commission. Voting power reflects
share of EDF, but financing proposals are rarely put to a vote.
Very few proposals are rejected; more often, if a project is not
approved, it is postponed to the next meeting, for DGVIII officials
to do more work on it.
An "Article 28 Committee" meets about
six times a year to approve allocation of interst rate subsidies
and risk capital from the EDF, managed by the EIB.
Food Aid
Committee meets quarterly to approve projects
under the Food Aid Regulation. The 1996 Regulation allows much
discretion in the use of the food aid budget for wider food security
purposes.
Others
Number of regulations controlling EC spending
in various areas under discussion. In all we (and several other
member states) have successfully argued for management committees
allowing member states a degree of control over expenditure.
Expert Groups
There are expert groups in a number of subjects,
some meeting ad hoc to discuss specific issues and policies, others
meeting regularly. One of the most important in the latter group
is the evaluation working group which is made up of the Commission
and member states representatives. It has met approximately quarterly
this year to carry out its work of overseeing evaluations of the
ALA, MED, ECHO and ACP programmes.
Council chaired working groups
Development Co-operation Working Group prepares
the work of the Development Council. For Lome, ACP and ACP/FIN
are the main groups. They prepare work for General Affairs. The
Foreign Affairs Council is responsible for political issues concerning
Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
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