Kosovo: exceptional Community financial assistance

PURPOSE : to provide exceptional Community financial assistance to Kosovo of EUR 35 million for the year 2000. CONTENT : given the extremely dependent financial situation of Kosovo at present following conflict in this region, the Commission proposes to provide exceptional Community financial assistance of up to EUR 35 million for the year 2000 in the form of straight grants. The amount of aid had been fixed by way of the overall financing gap for 1999 and 2000. The envisaged assistance would be released in at least two tranches and would be placed at the disposal of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in charge of the interim civil administration since the end of the conflict. It would aim essentially to alleviate the financial situation and enable the establishment of essential administrative functions, as well as to support the development of a sound economic framework in this region. Its effective implementation would be accompanied by appropriate macroeconomic and structural adjustment conditions. This would include steps taken by UNMIK to introduce full accountability and transparency in the Kosovo budget. This exceptional Community assistance will be part of the the envelope of aid foreseen for Kosovo in the 2000 budget.�