I External aid

ANNUAL REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE
OPERATING STRUCTURE
The EuropeAid Co-operation is a Commission Department.
It operates under the supervision of a Board consisting
of C. Patten (External Relations Commissioner), President,
P. Nielson (Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner),
Chief Executive Officer, G. Verheugen (Enlargement
Commissioner), P. Lamy (Trade Commissioner) and
P. Solbes Mira (Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner).
Political responsibility for the EuropeAid Co-operation
Office’s actions towards the College lies with the President
and the Chief Executive Officer according to their respective
responsibilities. The President supervises the strategic
approach of the Board whereas the Chief Executive Officer
ensures that the political guidelines defined by the
Board are complied with.
The Board approves, in particular, the annual work programme
and the annual report of the Office’s activities, the
annual budget programming (including the annual forecasts
of the European Development Funds) and the annual
evaluation programme. It is advised of the results of the
evaluations and formulates recommendations based on
these evaluations.
The Director-General of the EuropeAid Co-operation Office
is responsible for all operating budget appropriations falling
within the field of activity of the Office and of the European
Development Funds.
EuropeAid Co-operation Office
major priorities in 2001
I Implementation of external aid:
◗ identifying and preparing financing decisions for over
€7 billion;
◗ ensuring the implementation of ongoing projects and programmes,
including their evaluation and closure;
◗ finalising the inventory of the project portfolio and of
ongoing programmes;
◗ pursuing the liquidation of former and dormant commitments
in a sustained fashion;
II Implementation of the reform of external aid management:
◗ setting up the Office;
◗ successfully completing the devolution of tasks and responsibilities
towards the Commission Delegations;
◗ integrating, at the Office and in the Delegations, the functions
of the Technical Assistance Offices that support the
Commission in project and programme design and implementation
(see box);
© UNHCR/ M. Kobayashi
III Reform of management methods so as to speed up implementation
of projects and programmes:
◗ continuing efforts to harmonise and simplify procedures,
beyond the harmonisation of contracting and subsidy allotment
which was completed at the end of 2000;
◗ equipping itself with a high-quality information and management
system in the form of a single information system
(CRIS – Common Relex Information System), replacing the
heterogeneous information systems inherited from the
Directorates-General that formerly managed the projects.
From mid-2002 onwards, this system should permit sectional
classification of programmes and projects following
the Development Aid Committee (DAC) and the OECD
nomenclature;
◗ strengthening the task of evaluation by enhancing it to
include the outcomes of regional and sectional policies and
programming efficiency;
◗ strengthening project and programme monitoring capacities
(see box);
◗ intensifying training initiatives in order to ensure a high
level of professionalism.
A New Policy
The entire project
cycle is now
managed by a single
structure.
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