(1)

Regulation (EC) No 382/2001 (2) provides a legal framework for the enhancement of cooperation and commercial relations with the industrialised countries of North America, the Far East and Australasia until 31 December 2005.

(2)

Certain future aspects of the legal framework for the Community intervention in the area of external relations, including the promotion of cooperation and economic relations with industrialised countries, during the next period of Financial Perspectives (2007-2013) are yet to be determined. At the earliest, such new legal framework may apply from 1 January 2007.

(3)

As it is crucial to ensure continuity in cooperation activities with industrialised countries, it is therefore necessary to avoid the potential absence of a legal basis for those activities between the current expiry date of Regulation (EC) No 382/2001 and the date from which a new legal framework may apply. Extending the validity of Regulation (EC) No 382/2001 for an appropriate period will make it possible to bridge any potential gap in the legal framework governing cooperation with industrialised countries.

(4)

The extension in time of Regulation (EC) No 382/2001 is all the more justified as the evaluation carried out in 2004 of the projects and programmes financed under that Regulation established their effectiveness and called for their continuation with due attention to be paid to coordination of the supported activities within and between the partner countries concerned.

(5)

The second subparagraph of Article 114(1) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (3) provides for the possibility of awarding grants to natural persons, by way of exception, when provided for by the basic act. Such situations arise regularly in connection with the implementation of the Executive Training Programmes in Japan and in Korea and may occasionally arise in the case of other cooperation activities with industrialised countries, in particular in the framework of education cooperation or people-to-people exchanges.

(6)

Regulation (EC) No 382/2001 should therefore be amended accordingly,

1.

In Article 5, the following paragraph shall be added:

‘When appropriate, in particular in the case of education and training projects, or other similar projects from which individuals may benefit, Community support may take the form of grants to natural persons. These grants may take the form of scholarships.’.

2.

In Article 7, the following paragraph shall be added:

‘To this effect, Community support may take the form of grants to natural persons. These grants may take the form of scholarships.’.

3.

In Article 13, the second paragraph shall be replaced by the following:

‘It shall expire on 31 December 2007.’.