Azerbaijan, Baku, 12 June /corr. Trend I.Khakilova / The Government of Azerbaijan expects to sign a financial memorandum with the European Commission with regards to the indicative program for 2007 within European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), Rufat Mammadov, the Executive Director of the coordination office of the EU Technical Assistance for Azerbaijan program (Tacis) said.
The ENP budget envisaged for Azerbaijan, for 2007 totals €19mln. The funds are supposed to be used in three directions - instrument on sectoral support of the public budget, twinning program and technical assistance. Some €5mln is supposed to be allocated for the twinning-program and €14mln for other two components. Energy sector has been selected for instrument of support, and there are plans to hold legislative and administrative reforms in this sector, by financing the budget.
The funds to the Public budget will be transferred in three tranches. The first one will be transferred after signing memorandum. However, other two tranches will be realized due to Azerbaijan's fulfillment of certain conditions of the European Commission. According to Mammadov, they have already been presented to the Azerbaijani side. The EC suggests Azerbaijan to implement legal and institutional reforms, including establishment of Agency on regulation of alternative and recoverable energy resources.
Currently within ENP program, technical tasks are being prepared on twinning program for the Agency on Standardization, Metrology and Patent and State Service for Consumer Market Control. Initially €1mln technical assistance will be rendered to each organization.
The European Commission intends to provide funds within two programs Tacis and MEDA. The ENP budget envisaged for Azerbaijan, for 2007-2010, totals €92mln.
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