Participation of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey in Community programmes

1) OBJECTIVE

To establish a reference framework with a view to facilitating, simplifying and accelerating the procedures for the participation of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey in Community programmes.

2) ACT

Council Decision 2002/39/EC of 17 December 2001 concerning the conclusion of a Framework Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Malta on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Malta in Community programmes

[Official Journal L 17 of 19.01.2002].

Council Decision 2002/78/EC of 17 December 2001 concerning the conclusion of a Framework Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cyprus on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Cyprus in Community programmes

[Official Journal L 34 of 05.02.2002].

Council Decision 2002/179/EC of 17 December 2001 concerning the conclusion of a Framework Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Turkey on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Turkey in Community programmes

[Official Journal L 61 of 02.03.2002].

3) SUMMARY

The Luxembourg European Council (December 1997) highlighted participation in Community programmes as a way of intensifying the pre-accession strategy for the candidate countries. Although Turkey was not officially a candidate country at this time, a European strategy providing it with the same opportunities was established.

As regards the ten candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe, namely Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, participation in Community programmes is already provided for in their respective Europe Agreements. These stipulate that the conditions for participation are determined by specific decisions of the respective Association Councils.

For Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, agreements are necessary with regard to determining the conditions for participation in the programmes. The current decisions and framework agreements follow this objective.

Under these acts, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey can also participate in all the Community programmes open to the candidate countries from Central and Eastern Europe.

The three countries will contribute to the section of the European Union's general budget which corresponds to the programmes in which they participate.

Their participation in the programmes will be subject to the same conditions, rules and procedures as those applied to the participants from Member States. Representatives of the three countries will be able to act as observers at the meetings of the committees for the programmes to which they are making a financial contribution.

The terms and conditions for the participation of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey in each Community programme, in particular their financial contribution, are determined by means of an agreement between the Commission and each country.

The framework agreements have an unspecified duration. No later than three years after the dates of entry into force, and every three years after that, the Commission will examine their implementation and report to the Council.

Last updated: 14.03.2002