LIFE II, financial instrument for environment: participation of Romania

PURPOSE: iwithin the framework of the pre-accession strategy, opening the Community financial instrument in the field of the environment (LIFE) to Romania in 1998/1999. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council decision 1999/106/EC. CONTENT: this decision (1/98) of the EC/Romania Association Council of 15/09/1998 lays down the conditions and requirements of this country's participation in the financial instrument for the environment, LIFE. IN particular, Romania will: - take part in all of the relevant actions of LIFE in accordance with the objectives, criteria and procedures established by the instrument; - apply the same conditions and requirements of presentation, evaluation and selection of applications as those applied by the Member States; - whenever relevant, include partners from the Member States in the transnational projects and activities it proposes; - provide the appropriate structures and mechanisms at national level and take all other necessary steps to ensure national coordination and organisation of the implementation of the LIFE programme; - pay an annual financial contribution to the general Community budget to cover the cost of its participation in LIFE. This contribution will cover financial support from LIFE to Romanian participants and supplementary administrative costs related to the management of LIFE by the Commission stemming from Romania's participation. This contribution amounts to ECU 2,200,000 per year for 1998 and 1999. Subject to regular PHARE programming procedures ECU 1,257,143 of this will be paid from Romania's PHARE National Programme in 1998 and ECU 838,095 in 1999, while the rest (including the supplementary administrative costs) will come from Romania's national budget. Romania will be involved in the monitoring of its participation in LIFE in order to prepare for the Community decision-making porocess in the framework of the pre-accession strategy (in particular, by being invited to coordination meetings prior to the regular meetings of the association committee and being kept informed of the results of the committee's meetings). Romania's participation will be valid for the duration of the programme (until 31/12/1999). ENTRY INTO FORCE: 01/10/1998.�