EC/Turkey relations: implementation of measures to intensify customs union

This Commission report to the Council concerns the implementation of Council Regulation 764/2000/EC regarding the implementation of measures to intensify the EC-Turkey Customs Union. The budget heading under this regulation is B7-403 and the total budget is 15 Mio Eur for 3 years. The general objective is to provide financial support for measures to intensify the EC-Turkey customs union, in particular the alignment of Turkish legislation on Community legislation. With regard to operations financed during the 2000 financial year, the overall objective of the project is to remove the regulatory barriers to trade between Turkey and the EU. This will be done through support to the efforts made by Turkey's private and public sector in the process of technical harmonisation and in aligning their quality infrastructure with that of the EU in areas of direct relevance to the Customs Union Agreement, more specifically the parts concerned with technical barriers to trade. The programme is envisaged as a technical assistance project. It will provide, in a broad way, access to expertise, either for training purposes, consultancy services or the creation of awareness. This will be achieved by providing a framework for technical assistance that will consist of four components: legal and technical advice on the design of legislative instruments; institution building support; the transfer of know-how to both the public and private sector and finally, awareness raising on the implications of the Customs Union Agreement for the public and private sector. With regard to the planned indicative programme for the 2001 financial year - forecast for 2002 - a project on the participation of Turkey to the TAIEX facility inclues a EU contribution of 2,000,000 EUR. The objective of technical assistance is to support the harmonisation of the Turkish legislation with the 'acquis communautaire'. A mission of TAIEX officials has been organised to Turkey. Procedures have been launched in order to associate Turkey with the other candidate countries to benefit from the next Taiex facility. Thus far, projects have not started. Therefore, no evaluations were carried out during the reporting period. �