EU increases Tacis budget for Azerbaijan to 22m euro

The European Union (EU) increased the budget of Tacis for Azerbaijan by 7m euro. Asgar Alakbarov, the Executive Director of the Coordinating Bureau of Tacis, told Trend earlier the financing is supposed to be 15m euro in 2006, while it was increased up to 22m euros.

"We appealed for increase of financing, as 2006 will be the last year for implementation of Tacis. From 2007 it is planned to set up a program on new neighborhood and the last year of Tacis will become a transition to a new program. The European Commission recommended implementing 3 big projects under financing in 2006, whereas the realities show more probably 3-4 big projects will be financed and �twinning’ program will be implemented,” he noted.

According to Alakbarov, projects under the �twinning’ programs have negative peculiarities, as state body of any EU member-country, but not contractor is involved in its implementation. “It is planned to approve 6-7m euro for the project with the budget of around 1m euros, which will surely enable to carry out 6-7 similar projects,” he underlined.

During the period of cooperation the European Union has rendered 400m euro
in assistance to Azerbaijan, of which 100m euros were provided through Tacis. Initially it was planned to approve 30m euro top Azerbaijan under the program for 2004-2006, of which 16m euro fell on 2004-2005 and 2006.However, following an increase of financing for 2006 the cost of the program was increased to 37m euro.