Culture Community programmes: participation of the Czech republic in Raphaël

OBJECTIVE: in the framework of the pre-accession strategy, opening of the Community Raphael programme to the Czech Republic for the years 1998-2000. SUBSTANCE: this proposal for a decision of the EC-Czech Republic Association Council sets the conditions and arrangements for the participation of this country in the Community Raphael programme in the field of cultural heritage. In particular, the Czech Republic will: - participate in all actions derived from this programme under the same terms as the Member States and in accordance with the objectives, criteria and procedures laid down by these programmes; - apply the same conditions and arrangements for submission, assessment and selection of applications as those prevailing for the Member States; - ensure a minimum number of partners from the Member States for all the transnational actions and projects proposed; - make a financial contribution to the Community budget in relation to its participation in the programme. This financial contribution will cover financial support to Czech participants in the context of their participation in the Raphael programme and the supplementary costs of an administrative nature related to the management of the programmes by the Commission. The financial contribution will cover the participation of this country for the financial years 1998, 1999 and 2000. It will, however, be paid annually. The Community will pay part of this contribution by taking the sums needed from the annual funding for Phare/Czech Republic. The Phare contribution will not however cover the equivalent of the administrative sums relating to the management of the programmes by the Commission, which will remain entirely the responsibility of the Czech national budget. In total this financial contribution will amount to ECU 499 323 for the three years under consideration (of which ECU 240 000 under Phare). The Czech Republic will be associated with the monitoring of its participation in the Raphael cultural programme in preparation for the Community decision-making process on accession (in particular participation in the coordination meetings prior to the meetings of the programme committees and by being informed about the results). The participation of the Czech Republic will be valid for the duration of the programmes (i.e. until 31 December 2000). �