INFORME DEL SEMINARIO REGIONAL

Management of budget line
1988 - Revised general conditions (CSR admitted) + support to
capacity building
1998 - approval of Council Regulation n° 1658/98 (legal basis)
1998 - reform of External Relations services in EC; harmonised rules
& procedures for management of EC aid; creation of SCR (2001
creation of EuropeAid)
2000 - new general conditions for management of budget line and
new standard grant contract: more strict contractual & financial
follow-up;
More strict selection rules: up to 2000, spontaneous applications;
proposals discussed w/ EC task manager: EC official very often
had a considerable input in project design; from 2000, system of
call for proposals;
2000 – general evaluation of budget line (only projects in PVD)
Main conclusions/recommendations – in general projects w/ good
results but no long term impact
Strategic issues
- Budget line lacks a coherent strategy; has no strategic focus; EC should begin a
broad process of consultation w/ stakeholders; not enough poverty focused in
terms of geographical coverage; not enough capacity building of southern
partners; essentially demand driven; should assess and define more key
characteristics & concepts of budget line; give particular & detailed attention to
issue of access to budget line (urgent need to rationalise access to budget line);
detailed study of current monitoring & evaluation systems; no strategic
assessment since its creation; budget line should be a strategic fund w/ core
purpose and aims;
Management - improving the administration of appraisal process (lack of
effective initial filtering system ; enormous backlog on appraisal of proposals;
excessive focus on ex-ante, slow payment system, over onerous reporting
system: impossible to manage effectively in its current format.
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