Pre-accession Community assistance programmes: Stabilisation and Association Process countries' participation in tenders

PURPOSE : to allow the Western Balkans to participate in PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD tenders. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Regulation 769/2004/EC amending Regulations 3906/89/EEC, 555/2000/EC, 2500/2001/EC, 1268/1999/EC and 1267/1999/EC in order to allow the Stabilisation and Association Process countries to participate in tenders organised under the pre-accession Community assistance programmes. PURPOSE : with this Regulation, the Council has decided to adopt the measures allowing Stabilisation and Association Process countries to participate in tenders organised under the pre-accession (Phare, ISPA, SAPARD) Community assistance programmes. The aim of the Regulation is to provide incentives to foster reforms in the SAP countries and to reinforce regional cooperation. The Regulation stipulates that all natural and legal persons from States which are recipients under Regulation 2666/2000/EC should also be eligible to participate in invitations to tender and contracts under Regulations applicable to the States already going through the accession process (PHARE, Pre-Accession for Cyprus and Malta, ISPA and SAPARD). The Regulation aims to bring certain technical amendments in order to harmonise the rules applicable to the award of contracts. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 30 April 2004.�