On the Third Anniversary of the entry into force of the Financial Aid Regulation, the European Commission is organising a Reception together with Turkish Cypriot Counterparts and Beneficiaries. The event will take place at the EU Programme Support Office (38-44 Girne cad.) on 10 March 2009 at 17.30.
It is three years since the European Union Financial Aid Regulation for the Turkish Cypriot community entered into force. The aid programme includes a wide range of projects to help Turkish Cypriots to prepare to comply with EU standards and rules after reunification. In addition, the programme finances projects fostering reconciliation, confidence building measures, and support to civil society.
‘The European Commission was given € 259 million by the EU budgetary authorities in 2006 to implement the aid programme over a six year period. This is an enormous responsibility and a daunting challenge. Thanks to the hard work of my colleagues in Brussels and especially on the island, I believe we can say at this half-way stage that we are meeting that challenge – so far.’
Olli Rehn, Commissioner Responsible for Enlargement
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FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT THE
EU AID PROGRAMME FOR THE TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITY
In three years the European Commission tendered € 160 million (60% of the programme) and contracted € 78 million (30% of the overall programme). To begin with, contracts were primarily for services. Now the main focus is on grants. In the coming months the bulk of contracts (by value) will be for works and supplies.
The Commission recently signed the first works contract worth € 2.6 million on the replacement of asbestos cement water pipelines and four supply contracts for the amount of € 2.2 million on the equipment for energy metering and reactive power compensation.
Some 50 service contracts were signed, the most substantial ones in the environment sector (e.g. study on rehabilitation of Lefke mining area and water/wastewater capacity building). Last month, a service contract was signed for setting up an Information Point in the northern part of Nicosia.
The Commission awarded different types of grants to Turkish Cypriot individuals and organisations. Thirteen contracts (around € 0.5 million) have been signed with primary and secondary schools, funding the study visits for teachers to schools in EU member states, computer and language laboratories, and special education equipment. Also, the Commission awarded 133 scholarships worth € 2 million to students and university teachers providing an opportunity to study for up to one year in another EU member state.
The Commission awarded 26 grant scheme contracts (€ 0.5 million) to Turkish Cypriot farmers for improving dairy hygiene on sheep and goat farms. In the labour market sector, 11 contracts (€ 0.5 million) have been signed with the purpose of training unemployed people and upgrading workers’ skills. Eighteen contracts are in the process of being signed to support civil society and 7 contracts to support people-to-people contacts.
The Commission has also been active in supporting civil society, reconciliation and confidence building measures; funding has been provided for the Committee of Missing Persons (€ 1.5 million; via UNDP), and for the de-mining of the buffer zone (€ 4 million; via UNDP).
Through UNDP, the Commission is also implementing €15 million of support to urban upgrading in the three major towns of Nicosia, Famagusta and Kyrenia and selected villages. The flagship restoration of the Bedestan will be completed in the middle of 2009.
An important component of the programme has been constituted by the TAIEX assistance to the Turkish Cypriot community. 832 experts from 26 EU member states have provided technical support in the areas of environment, rural development, public expenditures management, legal capacity, anti-money laundering, statistics and Green Line trade based on the Programme for the Future Application of the Acquis. Also, the Commission has organised 380 workshops and conferences, involving 2559 Turkish Cypriot participants.
