European Commission to Select Consultants for Three Projects within Tacis for Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend I.Khalilova / The European Commission will hold selection of consultants for three projects within twinge program, and the results will be announced at the end of January 2008, said the Executive Director of the European Commission's Coordinating Bureau on Technical Assistance Programs (TACIS) to Azerbaijan, Rufat Mammadov.

The European Commission will provide support with regards to the technical regulation, standardization and feasibility study. The budget of this project will be €1mln with a realization period of 24 months. Some €1.1mln has been allocated for approximation of the legislation and structure transformations in the energy sector for a period of 18 months. The third project with a budget at €1.4mln with a period of 24 months envisages improving technical and legislative aspects in ensuring security and quality of foodstuffs, as well as demands for the certification of the fishing products.

According to Mammadov, these measures are being financed within 2006 national action plan Tacis for Azerbaijan.

The Action Plan was approved by the European Commission on 15 June 2006. The 2006 Action Plan includes projects on the improvement of the investment climate in the country (worth €3mln.), institutional development of the Azerbaijani Economic Development (worth €3mln.), development of a system of professional technical education in the country (worth €3mln.), creation of a twinning-program for the country (worth €6.5mln.) and support in the implementation of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan (PCA) with a budget of €3.5mln.