Small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs: participation of Slovenia in the Community programme

PURPOSE : the opening up of the third Community Programme in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises to Slovenia for the years 1999 and 2000. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Decision 1999/709/EC. CONTENT : this decision no 4/1999 of the EC/Slovenia Association Council sets the terms and conditions for the participation of Slovenia in the Community Programme in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises. In particular, Slovenia : - will participate, except where contrary specific measures are specified in the proposal, in all activities relating to this programme in the same way as the Member States do; - in order to guarantee the Community dimension of the programme, Slovenia must include a minimum number of partners from the Member States for all transnational projects and activities proposed; - will pay each year a financial contribution to the general budget of the European Communities to cover the costs resulting from its participation in the programme. This contribution covers financial support from the programme to the participation of Slovenian entities in activities and supplementary costs of an administrative nature related to the management of the programme by the Commission (EUR 33 124 per annum). This rises to EUR 506 324 per annum in 1999 and 2000. The Community will participate partly taking charge of these contributions by transferring the necessary amounts from Slovenia's annual PHARE allocation (subject to the usual programming procedures, PHARE contributes EUR 236 600 per annum and the remaining amount will be paid from its national budget). Slovenia will facilitate the free movement and residence of all beneficiaries of the programme moving between Slovenia and the Member States. It is associated in the follow-up to its participation to the programme so that it will be able to prepare itself for the Community decision-making process in the perspective of accession (in particular, by participating in the coordination meetings prior to the management committee and by being informed by the results of the committee). ENTRY INTO FORCE : 01.10.1999. The participation of Slovenia is valid for all the duration of the programme (that being until 31.12.2000).�