EC/Turkey relations: centralised indirect management of pre-accession aid as set out in article 54(2)(c) of the Financial Regulation

CONTENT : to amend Regulation 2500/2001/EC to enable the implementation of Community assistance for Turkey according to the new Financial Regulation.

PURPOSE : this amendment aims to bring the Council Regulation 2500/2001/EC concerning pre accession financial assistance for Turkey in line with the new Financial Regulation as concerns the use of centralised indirect management (Art. 54 (2) (c) FR). The Commission has already made an identical proposal for the Phare Regulation, the CARDS Regulation, and the same rules are also foreseen under the new pre-accession aid assistance instrument (IPA) as of 2007. In the area of pre-accession aid, centralised indirect management has proved a valuable tool in the past, in particular concerning the operations of the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange programme (TAIEX). Turkey has derived considerable benefit from TAIEX operations over recent years. It should therefore be ensured that Turkey can continue to access TAIEX assistance between now and the entry into force of the IPA-Regulation under the conditions established by the new Financial Regulation.