52003PC0465

Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL On promoting gender equality in development co-operation

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The co-operation and development policy, referred to in Article 179 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, highlights the need for the Council, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251, to adopt the measures necessary to further the objectives referred to in Article 177 of the Treaty.

Community policy in this area shall focus on the fight against poverty, foster the sustainable development of developing countries, and the integration of developing countries into the world economy.

The sustained improvement of gender equality and the empowerment of women in developing countries are important outcomes of development and significantly contributions to poverty reduction. Since the Declaration and the Beijing Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 global improvement has been made in terms of promoting gender equality in developing countries. In particular, progress has been made in putting in place a comprehensive gender mainstreaming strategy within the general framework of EU Development Co-operation. The main reference policy document is the Programme of Action (PoA) on mainstreaming of gender equality, COM (2001) 295. However, even if the process is on track in setting the priorities much remains to be done in terms of delivering results, such as improving the conditions of women in developing countries, within a definite time-perspective. This is especially accurate in the fields of effective implementation at country level, with respect to exploring new policy developments, and giving a higher profile to the ongoing initiatives.

In 1998, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 2836/98 on integrating of gender issues in development co-operation, due to expire on 31 December 2003. The Regulation aims at mainstreaming gender perspectives into all of the Communities development co-operation policies and interventions and supporting the implementation of national plans designed to implement major elements of the Beijing Platform for Action. These objectives are still valid to date yet need an increased and accelerated effort. Furthermore, the EC Treaty stresses the need to aim for the elimination of inequalities and to promote equality between men and women in all policies of the Community, (Art. 3 paragraph 2).

Therefore a more comprehensive strategic approach is needed to support the present implementation strategy of the PoA of 2001. In particular this Regulation proposes to clarify the political goal of the Community gender policy within the field of development co-operation. A stronger orientation will make the process clearer and more visible and will make it easier to activate the necessary change to promote gender equality in development co-operation.

This approach is necessary in order to effectively use the strategy of gender mainstreaming in the context of poverty reduction as it was highlighted by the PoA in 2001. The 1998 Regulation 2836 focused on "gender integration". Later on in 2001 the PoA underlined the process of "gender mainstreaming". Now this need to be complemented by a solid policy basis, with the promotion of gender equality, and a goal-oriented approach with a strong link to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.

To support the goal of promoting gender equality two complementary actions are foreseen: gender mainstreaming and specific measures. Gender mainstreaming is the main process that integrates priorities and needs of women and men of all ages in all the key development and co-operation policies. This process needs to be reinforced by a set of specific measures to support the empowerment of women through their economic, social and environmental roles.

In order to highlight the intrinsic long-term perspective of promoting gender equality, it is vital that the budget line is maintained, and that the catalytic and strategic role played by the present Regulation is reinforced with respect to the implementation of the PoA of 2001. This orientation was confirmed by the recent Thematic Evaluation on the Integration of Gender in EC Development Co-operation with Third Countries finalised by the Commission in March 2003.

Operations under this Regulation form part of the Community's overall gender and poverty policies within development co-operation. In this context, co-ordination, coherence and complementarity with other aid instruments available to the EC and with the policies at national, regional and international level remain essential.

The Thematic Evaluation confirmed the necessity of reinforcing a political message supporting gender equality. Therefore there is a clear need for a revised legal instrument enabling operations to continue beyond 31 December 2003. For this reason, the Commission proposes to the Council and the European Parliament to adopt this Regulation.

2003/0176 (COD)

Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL On promoting gender equality in development co-operation

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 179 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission [1],

[1] OJ C [...], [...], p. [...]

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty,

Whereas:

(1) The UN Millennium Development Goals [2] call for gender equality and empowerment of women, setting clear targets in the field of education that have to be achieved no later than 2015.

[2] http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

(2) Article 3 (2) of the EC Treaty stipulates that in all the activities referred to in Article 3, including a policy in the sphere of development cooperation, the Community shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality, between men and women.

(3) A disproportionate majority of the world's poor are women, therefore the promotion of gender equality is important for the overarching goal of poverty reduction by 2015.

(4) Gender equality of women and men of all ages is recognised as important to effective and efficient work against poverty. To achieve the goal of gender equality through the gender mainstreaming strategy there is a need to combine it with specific measures in favour of women of all ages.

(5) Women's contribution to development is achieved in the face of numerous obstacles, limiting the outcome of their work and reducing the benefits for themselves and to society as a whole The importance of women's economic, social, and environmental roles across the life course, in developing countries has led to increasing international recognition that their full participation without discrimination is indispensable for sustainable and effective development.

(6) The Community and its Member States were signatories to the Declaration and Platform for Action of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, which stressed the need for action against world-wide obstacles to gender equality and established gender mainstreaming as a strategy to promote gender equality.

(7) The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women considers discrimination against women as an obstacle to development, and the parties to the Convention agree to eliminate this discrimination using all appropriate means.

(8) Regulation (EC) No 2836/98 on the integration of gender issues in development co-operation [3] aims to support the mainstreaming of gender analysis in all area of development co-operation policies and to support and facilitate the inclusions of actions addressing major gender disparities. It ensures that gender equality is promoted in national plans designed to implement major elements of the Beijing Platform for Action. The Regulation is due to expire on 31 December 2003.

[3] OJ L 354, 30.12.1998, p. 5

(9) The Declaration by the Council and the Commission on the European Community's development policy, adopted on the Development Council on 10 November 2000, states that gender equality is a cross-cutting issue.

(10) The Commission's Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on the Programme of Action for the mainstreaming of gender equality in Community Development Co-operation of 21 June 2001 (PoA), COM (2001)295 final, sets the implementation framework for mainstreaming gender equality in EC development co-operation. The PoA was endorsed by the Council in its Conclusions of 8 November 2001.

(11) The European Parliament stressed in its April 2002 Resolution on the PoA its commitment to gender mainstreaming as the approach to furthering the goal of gender equality and improving the position of women in developing countries.

(12) This Regulation should lay down a financial framework constituting the prime reference, within the meaning of point 33 of the Inter-institutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure [4], for the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure.

[4] OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1

(13) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission [5].

[5] OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23

(14) In accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality set out in Article 5 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the objective of the proposed action, namely to promote gender equality in development co-operation, cannot be attained by the Member States acting alone. Therefore, by reason of the scale and effects of the proposed action, can be better achieved by the Community. This Regulation confines itself to the minimum required to achieve that objective and does not go beyond what is necessary for that purpose.

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Chapter I

Scope

Article 1

1. The purpose of this Regulation is to implement measures to promote gender equality in Community development co-operation policies, strategies and interventions.

To this end, the Community shall provide financial assistance and appropriate expertise aimed at promoting gender equality into all its development co-operation policies and interventions in developing countries.

2. The Community support shall be aimed at complementing and reinforcing the policies and capacities of developing countries as well as the assistance provided through other instruments of development co-operation.

Article 2

For the purposes of this Regulation:

a) 'gender mainstreaming' concerns planning, (re)organisation, improvement, and evaluation of policy processes, so that a gender equality perspective is incorporated in all development policies, strategies and interventions, at all levels and at all stages by the actors normally involved therein;

b) specific measures to prevent or compensate for disadvantages linked to sex may be maintained or introduced with a view to ensuring equality in practice between men and women; such measures should, in the first instance, aim at improving the situation of women in the field covered by this Regulation.

Article 3

The objectives to be pursued by this Regulation, in accordance with the goal of promoting gender equality and empower women as specified by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, are the following:

a) to support the mainstreaming of gender in all areas of development co-operation, combined with specific measures in favour of women, with the goal to promote gender equality as an important contribution to poverty reduction;

b) to support endogenous public and private capacities in developing countries which can take the responsibility and initiative for promoting gender equality.

Article 4

1. Activities in the field of promoting gender equality eligible for financing include, in particular:

a) supporting specific measures related to access to and control of resources and services for women, e.g. in areas of education, employment opportunities, and political decision making;

b) supporting the analysis and improvement of statistics disaggregated by sex and age, development and dissemination of methodologies, guidelines, gender impact assessments, thematic studies, indicators, and other operational instruments;

c) supporting awareness raising and advocacy work;

d) supporting activities aiming at strengthening institutional and operational capacities of key players in the development process, such as the provision of gender specialist, training and technical assistance.

2. The instruments to be financed in the course of the activities referred to in Article 4 (1) may take the form of:

a) methodological and organisational studies on gender mainstreaming relevant to all age-groups;

b) technical assistance including gender impact assessment, training or other services;

c) supplies, audits, evaluation and monitoring missions.

3. Community financing may cover:

a) investment projects, with the exception of the purchase of real estate, and;

b) operating expenditure of a beneficiary body including recurring administrative and maintenance costs.

Operating grants shall be awarded on a gradually decreasing basis.

Article 5

In the selection and implementation of activities referred to in Article 4(1), particular attention shall be paid to:

a) the potential of interventions and programmes to act as a catalyst and a multiplier in order to support the strategy of gender mainstreaming on a large scale in Community interventions;

b) the contribution to strengthen strategic partnership and to initiate transnational co-operation which reinforces regional co-operation in the area of gender equality;

c) the pursuit of cost-effectiveness and sustainable impact in the design and planning of interventions;

d) the clear definition and monitoring of objectives and indicators;

e) efforts made to promote synergies with policies and programmes targeting reproductive and sexual health and rights and poverty diseases, girl-child issues and education, ageing people, and environment.

Chapter II

Implementation of aid

Article 6

1. Financial support pursuant to this Regulation shall take the form of grants or contracts.

2. A grant may finance the entire costs of an action only if it is shown that this is essential for it to be carried out, with the exception of actions resulting from the implementation of financing agreements with third countries or actions managed by international organisations. In other cases, a financial contribution from the beneficiaries defined in Article 7 shall be sought. In specifying the amount of the contribution requested, regard shall be given to the capacity of the partners concerned and the nature of the operation in question.

3. The provision of financial assistance under this Regulation may entail co-financing with other donors, in particular with Member States, the United Nations, and international or regional development banks or financial institutions.

Article 7

1. The partners eligible for financial assistance under this Regulation include:

a) administrative authorities and agencies at national, regional and local government levels;

b) local authorities and other decentralised bodies;

c) local communities, NGOs, community-based organisations, trade unions, and other not-for-profit natural and legal persons;

d) regional organisations;

e) international organisations, such as the United Nations and its agencies, funds and programmes, as well as development banks, financial institutions, global initiatives, international public/private partnerships;

f) research and development studies institutes and universities.

2. Without prejudice to paragraph 1(e), Community financial assistance in the form of grants shall be available to partners whose head office is located in a Member State or in a third country that is a beneficiary or potential beneficiary of Community assistance under this Regulation, provided that this office is the actual centre directing business operations. In exceptional cases, this office may be located in another third country. Priority will be given to endogenous structures that can play a role in developing local capacities with respect to gender.

Article 8

1. Where operations are the subject of financing agreements between the Community and the recipient country, such agreements shall stipulate that the payment of taxes, duties or any other charges is not to be covered by the Community.

2. All financing agreements, grant agreements or contracts concluded pursuant to this Regulation shall provide for the Commission and the Court of Auditors to conduct on-the-spot checks in accordance with the usual procedures laid down by the Commission under the rules in force, in particular those of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities.

3. The necessary measures shall be taken to emphasise the Community character of the aid provided pursuant to this Regulation.

Article 9

1. Participation in invitations to tender and the award of procurement contracts shall be open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons of the Member States, assimilated countries, and in all developing countries. It shall be open to other third countries on the condition of reciprocity. It may be extended, under exceptional and duly justified circumstances, to other third countries.

2. Supplies shall originate in the Member States, the beneficiary country or other developing countries. In the cases mentioned in Article 9(1), supplies may originate in other third countries.

Article 10

1. In order to secure the objectives of consistency and complementarity referred to in the Treaty and to ensure maximum effectiveness of these operations as a whole, the Commission may take all necessary coordination measures, including in particular:

a) the establishment of a system for the systematic exchange and analysis of information on the operations financed and those which the Community and the Member States propose to finance;

b) the on-the-spot coordination of the implementation of operations through regular meetings and exchanges of information between the representatives of the Commission and the Member States in the recipient country, local authorities and other decentralised bodies;

2. The Commission can organise meetings between representatives of the Commission, Member States and partner countries in order to increase awareness of gender issues in emerging areas of development cooperation.

3. The Commission, liaison with the Member States, may take any initiative necessary for ensuring proper coordination with the other donors concerned, in particular those forming part of the United Nations system.

Chapter III

Financial provisions and relevant decision-making procedures

Article 11

1. The financial framework for the implementation of this Regulation for the period 2004 to 2006 is hereby set at 9 million Euro.

2. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective.

Article 12

1. The Commission shall be responsible for drafting strategic programming guidelines, defining the Community's cooperation in terms of measurable objectives, priorities, deadlines for specific areas of action, assumptions and expected outcomes. Programming shall be multi-annual and indicative.

2. An annual exchange of views shall take place once a year on the basis of a presentation by the representative of the Commission of the general guidelines for the operations to be carried out, in the framework of a joint meeting of the Committees referred to in Article 14(1).

Article 13

1. The Commission shall be responsible for appraising, deciding on and administering operations covered by this Regulation according to the budgetary and other procedures in force, and in particular those laid down in the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities.

2. The work programme shall be adopted under the procedure laid down in Article 14.

Article 14

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the geographically determined Committee competent for development.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the management procedure laid down in Article 4 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, in compliance with Article 7 and Article 8 thereof.

3. The period provided for in Article 4, paragraph 3, of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be 45 days.

Chapter IV

Reports

Article 15

1. After each budget year, the Commission shall submit in its annual report on EC development policy to the European Parliament and to the Council, information on the operations financed in the course of that year and the Commission's conclusions on the implementation of this Regulation over the previous budget year.

The summary shall in particular provide information about the strengths, weaknesses and outcomes of operations, those with whom contracts have been concluded as well as the results of any independent evaluations of specific operations.

2. One year before the expiry of this Regulation, the Commission shall submit an independent appraisal report on the implementation of this Regulation to the European Parliament and the Council with a view to establishing whether its objectives have been achieved and providing guidelines for improving the effectiveness of future operations. On the basis of this appraisal report the Commission may make proposals for the future of this Regulation and, if necessary, proposals for its amendment.

Article 16

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply until 31 December 2006.

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament For the Council

The President The President

LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Policy area(s): Development and Relations with ACP countries

Activity: Development co-operation policies and sectorial strategies

Title of action: promoting gender equality in developing countries

1. BUDGET LINE + HEADING - B7-622 - On promoting gender equality in development cooperation

2. OVERALL FIGURES

2.1. Total allocation for action (Part B): EUR 9 million

2.2. Period of application: 1.1.2004 - 31.12.2006

2.3. Overall multi-annual estimate of expenditure:

(a) Schedule of commitment/payment appropriations (financial intervention). Schedule of CA/PA planned for 2004-2006 and payments for the period 2007 and after.

EUR thousand (to 3rd decimal place)

>TABLE POSITION>

(b) Technical assistance and administrative support expenditure. Schedule of CA/PA planned from 2004 till 2006

EUR thousand (to 3rd decimal place)

>TABLE POSITION>

Subtotal a+b EUR thousand (to 3rd decimal place)

>TABLE POSITION>

(c) Overall financial impact of human resources and other administrative expenditure

EUR thousand (to 3rd decimal place)

Commitments/ payments // EUR 224 400 + EUR 100 000 per annum (2004 - 2006)

Subtotal a+b+c EUR thousand (to 3rd decimal place)

>TABLE POSITION>

2.4. Compatibility with financial programming and financial perspective

[x] Proposal is compatible with existing financial programming.

ñ Proposal will entail reprogramming of the relevant heading in the financial perspective.

ñ Proposal may require application of the provisions of the Interinstitutional Agreement.

2.5. Financial impact on revenue:

[x] Proposal has no financial implications (involves technical aspects regarding implementation of a measure)

3. BUDGET CHARACTERISTICS

>TABLE POSITION>

4. LEGAL BASIS

Art. 179/Treaty

5. DESCRIPTION AND GROUNDS

5.1. Need for Community intervention

5.1.1. Objectives pursued

The objectives to be pursued, in accordance with the goal of promoting gender equality and empower women as specified by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, by this Regulation are the following:

a) to support the mainstreaming of gender in all areas of development co-operation, combined with specific measures in favour of women, with the goal to promote gender equality as an important contribution to poverty reduction;

b) to support endogenous public and private capacities in developing countries which can take the responsibility and initiative for promoting gender equality.

5.1.2. Measures taken in connection with ex ante evaluation

The Commission has been actively involved in integrating/mainstreaming gender in development co-operation, since 1995, based on policy commitments on gender in EC development co-operation dating back from the first Council Resolution of December 1995 on "Integrating Gender Issues in Development Co-operation". Subsequently, the Council Regulation on Integration of Gender issues in Development Co-operation of 22 December 1998 was enacted to provide a legal basis for using the gender budget line and in particular to better enable an appropriate and flexible use to support gender mainstreaming in EC development co-operation. Article 11 of the 1998 Regulation states that "Three years after this Regulation enters into force, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council an overall assessment of the operations financed by the community under this Regulation which may be accompanied by suggestions concerning the future of this Regulation".

In order to provide a basis for revision and improvements of policies, strategies and implementation, the Commission decided to focus the Thematic Evaluation of the Integration of Gender in EC Development Co-operation with Third countries on a long-term perspective (1995-2001) and a broader policy and thematic scope. The Evaluation was finalised recently in March 2003. The Evaluation provides an overall assessment of operations to integrate gender into EC development co-operation and gives thereby a good picture of what the Commission has achieved in terms of making its policies operational. An additional specific assessment of the projects financed under the 1998 Regulation is currently underway under the supervision of the Commission and it will contribute to better refine the present knowledge of the functioning of the Regulation.

Some of the findings of the Thematic Evaluation are particularly relevant to this Regulation in terms of lessons to be drawn:

- EC policy commitments have been only partially implemented during the period 1995-2001. The most important explanations are that necessary resources, both financial and human, to implement the policies were not made available.

- Poor information and data base have hindered any systematic monitoring or evaluation. "With some specific exceptions (primarily certain aspects of health and education), this weakness is evident at the level of projects and programmes as well as country and sector support."

- Financial resources have been insufficient. The main financial resource to support the strategy of gender mainstreaming during the period 1995-2001 has been the gender budget line (B7-6220).

- Significant reduction of the actual allocations of the gender budget line has taken place since 1999.

The Evaluation also informs that "there is a tendency to confuse gender mainstreaming (the strategy) with gender equality (the objective) and to talk merely of "integrating gender in" development rather than ensuring that it contributes to the promotion of gender equality. In many cases "gender" is still equated with women only, while gender equality is interpreted as ensuring a gender balance in staff. The EC's dual approach to gender mainstreaming - involving systematic attention to gender equality across all instrument and interventions and at all phases of the cycle, as well as the use of specific actions where required - is not yet sufficiently understood."

These findings and past experiences do not only validate the importance of a new Regulation but also create great challenges for the Commission to implement the new budget line in a more efficient and sustainable manner with a clear and visible strategy of the complementary approach.

The Evaluation gives in its ninth and last recommendation its view on the budget line's special strength as well as limitations:

"The Gender budget line, with its very limited resources, must play - as the Programme of Action indicates - a catalytic role, pump-priming pilot initiatives and developing and disseminating good practice. However, it is crucial to avoid the risks of marginalisation and lack of sustainability of actions that have characterised many previous actions on gender mainstreaming supported by the gender budget line. Longer-term financial sustainability - and ownership of any pilot initiative by mainstream actors - must be amongst the criteria for allocating gender budget line resources, to achieve a maximum impact on the mainstream of EC development co-operation."

5.1.3. Measures taken following ex post evaluation

The management of the interventions financed from the budget line will be continuously monitored by means of a monitoring system, involving the relevant partners and actors concerned and working with clear progress and outcome indicators (as referred to in 5.1.2.). All programmes or actions financed from this budget line shall be subject to an ex post evaluation in terms of the human and financial resources allocated and the results obtained in order to verify that they were in keeping with the objectives set. To this end, a timetable shall be set which will allow the findings of the evaluation to be taken into account for any decision on the continuation, modification or suspension of the programme or action.

5.2. Actions envisaged and arrangements for budget intervention

Financial support shall be given to operations following the objectives described above, and in particular, to those which aim to:

a) supporting specific measures related to access and control of resources and services for women, e.g. in the area of education, employment opportunities and political decision making

b) supporting the analysis and improvement of statistics disaggregated by sex and age, development and dissemination of methodologies, guidelines, gender impact assessments, thematic studies, development of indicators, and other operational instruments

c) supporting awareness-raising and advocacy work

d) supporting activities aiming at strengthening institutional and operational capacities of key players in the development process, such as the provision of gender specialist, training and technical assistance.

5.3. Methods of implementation

In the context of the operations referred to above, Community support may take the form of:

a) methodological and organisational studies on gender mainstreaming relevant to all age-groups,

b) technical assistance including gender impact assessment, training or other services,

c) supplies, audits, evaluation and monitoring missions.

Priority shall be given to strengthen strategic partnerships and set up transnational co-operation which reinforces regional co-operation in the area of gender equality. Special attention will be given to the potential of interventions and programmes to act as a catalyst and a multiplier in order to support the objective of gender mainstreaming on a large scale in Community interventions.

Community financing may cover both investment expenditure, excluding the purchase of real estate, and, in exceptional and duly substantiated cases, taking into account the fact that the operation must, as far as possible, aim at medium-term viability, recurring expenditure as well (including administrative expenditure, maintenance and running costs), the operation of which temporarily represents a burden for the partner.

Community financing shall take the form of grants or contracts.

The effectiveness of programmes to support national gender equality strategies partly depends on improved co-ordination of aid both at European level and at international level, and on the use of procedures tailored to the specific nature of the activities and the partners concerned.

6. FINANCIAL IMPACT

6.1. Total financial impact on Part B

3.0 million Euro per year (2004 - 2006)

6.2. Calculation of costs by measure envisaged in Part B (over the entire programming period) [6]

[6] For further information, see separate explanatory note.

(Where there is more than one action, give sufficient detail of the specific measures to be taken for each one to allow the volume and costs of the outputs to be estimated.)

Commitments (in EUR million to three decimal places)

>TABLE POSITION>

(If necessary explain the method of calculation)

7. IMPACT ON STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE

"The requirements for human and administrative resources shall be covered within the envelopes allocated to the programming and managing DGs.

7.1. Impact on human resources

>TABLE POSITION>

7.2. Overall financial impact of human resources

>TABLE POSITION>

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months. The needs for human and administrative resources shall be covered within the allocation granted to the managing DG in the framework of the annual allocation procedure.

7.3. Other administrative expenditure deriving from the action

>TABLE POSITION>

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months.

1 Specify the type of committee and the group to which it belongs.

I. Annual total (7.2 + 7.3)

II. Duration of action

III. Total cost of action (I x II) // EUR 324 400

1 year

EUR 324 400

8. FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION

8.1. Follow-up arrangements

After each budget year, the Commission shall submit in its annual report on EC development policy to the European Parliament and to the Council, information on the operations financed in the course of that year and the Commission's conclusions on the implementation of this Regulation over the previous budget year. The summary shall in particular provide information about the strengths and weaknesses of operations, those with whom contracts have been concluded as well as the results of any independent evaluations of specific operations.

8.2. Arrangements and schedule for the planned evaluation

An annual exchange of views shall take place once a year on the basis of a presentation by the representative of the Commission of the general guidelines for the operations to be carried out.

One year before the expiry of this Regulation, the Commission shall submit an independent appraisal report on the implementation of this Regulation to the European Parliament and the Council with a view to establishing whether its objectives have been achieved and providing guidelines for improving the effectiveness of future operations. On the basis of this appraisal report the Commission may make proposals for the future of this Regulation and, if necessary, proposals for its amendment.

9. ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES

Joint evaluations and reviews will be carried out in agreement with the community of donors and partner countries according the agreed Community rules and standards.