Culture Community programmes: participation of Lithuania in Kaleidoscope and Raphaël

PURPOSE: within the framework of the pre-accession strategy, opening certain of the Community's programmes in the field of culture to Lithuania from 1998 to 2000. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council decision 1999/116/EC. CONTENT: this decision (4/98) by the EC/Lithuania Association Council of 22/12/98 lays down the conditions and requirements for this country's participation in 2 Community programmes in the field of culture (KALEIDOSCOPE and RAPHAEL). In particular, Lithuania will: - take part in the relevant actions in the same capacity as the Member States and in line with the objectives, criteria and procedures established by these programmes; - apply the same conditions and requirements for presentation, assessment and selection of applications as those which apply to the Member States; - be required to include a minimum number of partners from the Member States for all the transnational projects and activities it proposes; - make a financial contribution to the Community budget to cover the costs of its participation in the 2 programmes. This contribution covers both financial aid allocated to the Lithuanian participants in the 2 programmes and supplementary administrative costs incurred by the Commission for its management of the programmes as a result of Lithuania's participation. This contribution will vary according to the programme and is made annually. In total, this financial contribution will amount to ECU 93,898 for the 3 years in question. Subject to regular PHARE programming procedures, ECU 65,179 of this amount will come from Lithuania's PHARE allocations. Lithuania will be involved in the monitoring of its participation in these programmes in order to prepare for the Community decision-making process in the context of accession (in particular, by being invited to coordination meetings prior to the regular meetings of the programming committees and being kept informed of the results of these committees' meetings). Lithuania's participation will be valid for the duration of the programmes (until 31/12/2000). ENTRY INTO FORCE: 01/01/1999.�