Reconstruction of the former Yugoslavia: European Union aid administration and international aid coordination

OBJECTIVE: to define the conditions for EU aid administration in the former Yugoslavia and determine the resources to be implemented to improve the coordination of international aid in the region. SUBSTANCE: according to the Commission, the Community should play a key role in coordinating the aid provided given the efforts the Union has made to contribute to the reconstruction of the former Yugoslavia. The Commission thus considers that: - as regards the management of Community aid, changes should be made at the highest level so that the funds destined for this region are more visible and better coordinated (to this end, the Commission proposes creating a task force to ensure the transparency of the various services). The countries receiving aid must also adapt. At present, the Commission does not have any delegations in these countries with the exception of Serbia, which is not directly affected by aid for reconstruction. The Commission is calling for the establishment of a delegation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and, if necessary, in Croatia to make it easier to identify and implement projects and to improve the coordination of actions taken by other financial backers; - as regards coordination, given the number and diversity of financial backers involved, efforts are required to ensure more effective use of the funds available, to take advantage of the know-how of all those concerned, to bring together as many donors as possible, to better identify the actions to be implemented and to better absorb the aid granted. The Commission emphasises in particular that this coordination should centre around the following three instruments: . the holding of an international conference on reconstruction bringing together all the parties involved and all the potential donors. The Commission plans to organise and prepare this conference in conjunction with the World Bank; . a limited coordination body (Steering Board, composed of 8 to 10 members), capable of defining lines of action, strategies and priorities to be implemented on the ground and establishing the necessary mechanisms to watch developments and monitor the political and economic conditionality of the aid; . local coordination structures: the members of the Steering Board would be parties to these structures along with the Commission. They would work closely with the national, regional and local authorities of the countries receiving aid and benefit from the experience of the IMG. �