Aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FR Yugoslavia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia FYROM

OBJECTIVE: to make technical changes to Regulation (EC) no. 1628/96 on reconstruction and rehabilitation in the former Yugoslavia to improve the measures applicable to the granting of Community aid. CONTENTS: In view of the multiple complications which have arisen during the 18-month application of Regulation (EC) no. 1628/96 granting reconstruction and rehabilitation aid to the republics derived from the former Yugoslavia (length of the decision-making process, administrative difficulties etc.), the Commission proposes to amend the basic Regulation on aid to the former Yugoslavia in order to simplify the procedures. It is therefore proposed that: - service contracts in the form of technical services may be awarded by private treaty for actions with a maximum value of ECU 400 000 (instead of the current ceiling of ECU 200 000), in particular for the preparation, supervision and evaluation of Community aid; - works and supply contracts not exceeding ECU 3 m may be awarded using a procedure limited to one of the beneficiary countries (especially if the project has a strong local factor). If such geographically limited procedures prove inadequate or do not result in a contract being awarded, works and supply contracts not exceeding ECU 3 m may be awarded, by way of exception, by private treaty to natural or legal persons in Member States or, exceptionally, to PHARE Member States; - works and supply contracts which facilitate the return of refugees with a value exceeding ECU 3 m (but less than ECU 10 m) may be awarded under open or restricted invitations to tender; - the amount above which the management committee (Article 12 of Regulation (EC) no. 1628/96) is to be consulted be increased from ECU 2 m to 5 m. However, the committee is to be kept duly informed of actions corresponding to funding of less than ECU 5 m; - in order to increase the flexibility of the programme, the Commission may decide to contribute to cooperation programmes and actions submitted by municipalities or regional bodies in consultation with central government; - in order to streamline procedures, the comitology procedure provided for in Article 12 of the Regulation will be amended in order to bring it into line with the PHARE Regulation comitology procedure.�