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Technical Assistance Programmes of the European Union: wide opportunities for cooperation

04.02.2009  |  Publications

The main type of assistance provided by the European Union to Belarus is International Technical Assistance, which provides to Belarus with ‘know-how’ technologies, consultation serviced, expert assessment, trainings, investment and business plans. From 1991 to 2006 the EU input into Belarus within the TACIS Programme comprised around 220 million Euro, which is around 40% of the entire technical assistance which has been provided to Belarus by various international donors in the course of this period. Mr. Leonid Orlov, the Executive Director of the Coordination Bureau of the TACIS Programme of the European Union in the Republic of Belarus, is pleased with the outcomes of 2008 and points to the significant dynamics of the development within the field of provision of the international technical assistance.

National Programmes for Belarus

The European Union has elaborated special national programmes related to the most needed, important and priority areas for a specific country, taking into account the country’s specifics, characteristics and urgency of the issues.

From 2007 to 2013 the bulk of the international assistance programmes of the European Union for Belarus was implemented via the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI).  

Within the European Nighbourhood and Partnership Instrument there were two national programmes elaborated and approved for Belarus, the third one is still at the elaboration stage.

These national programmes use a so-called ‘sector’ approach.

The first comprehensive National programme lies within the energy area and will be financed from the European Union budget of 2007. The annual budget of the programme for Belarus is 5 million Euro per year.

The second, a comprehensive National programme related to the environmental protection (2008). The budget of the Programme is 5 million Euro.  

In 2009 a comprehensive programme on Standardization and Certification will be elaborated. The budget of the programme is 10 million Euro. The unification of the standards is a crucial requirement for the Belarusian goods to have an opportunity to enter European markets.

National programmes actively involve the participation of the state institutions of the highest level, such as the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Border Committee, State Customs Committee, Ministry of Emergency Situations, oblast executive committees, scientific and research institutes, as well as non-state sector and non-governmental organizations. The Executive Director of the Co-ordination Bureau of the TACIS Programme of the European Union in Belarus, Leonid Orlov is pleased to point out that the state authorities and governmental institutions are interested in participation within the TACIS Programmes of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument for Belarus.

Regional and Cross-border Cooperation Programmes 

Another area of cooperation is Eastern Interregional and Intergovernmental Programmes that are implemented jointly with the neighbouring countries. For instance, fighting trafficking in women, fighting illegal drugs traffic (these programmes are implemented jointly with the neighbouring countries: Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, for instance, programme BUMAD).

Baltic Sea Region” Neighbourhood Programme. It was planned that the European Union will allocate 22.4 million US Dollars for Belarus and Russia for implementation of this programme, however Russia was late to sign the relevant financial documents therefore all the allocated funds will be spent by Belarus.  

Based on this Programme, we’ll take an opportunity to list all partners that are involved in these programmes from the Belarusian side: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Belarusian Chamber of Commerce, Scientific Research Institute of Complex Water Resources Usage, Belarusian Scientific Research Institute of City Construction, Belarusian Science and Technical University, several non-governmental organizations, Zhodino and Braslav Executive Committees, Grodno Oblast Executive Committee.

International partners include: Danish Scientific Research Institute for Forestry and Landscape, Finnish Environmental Institute, City administration of Rostak ( Germany), Academy of the Environmental Research and Planning ( Sweden), Ministry of Internal Affairs of Finland, Stockholm Administration, Government of Berlin, Lithuanian and St.-Petersbourg Offices of the Council of Ministers of the Scandinavian countries.

As a result of the first competition of applications within the Programme of transnational cooperation “Baltic Sea Region” 24 projects were approved with the overall budget 66.1 million Euro (which is about 30% of the overall budget of the Programme). Belarus will take part in three projects: BALTRADE, related to the improvement of the meteorological network of the radio-location stations (Republican hydro-meteo centre is a partner from the Belarusian side). The second project “Assistance to the development of the bio-energy resources” and the third – “Support to the measures on energy efficiency and complex development of cities”.

Until 31 March is open a call for applications within the “Baltic Sea Region” Programme.

It is also worth mentioning such programmes within the intergovernmental neighbourhood programmes as “ LatviaLithuaniaBelarus” (14 project involving Belarusian partners) and “ PolandBelarus Ukraine” (7 projects with Belarusian partners).

Adjoined territories

In 2009 the construction of the largest cargo customs terminal “Kazlovichi -2” will be finished, its overall budget is 14 million Euro. The construction is almost finished de facto and at the moment contemporary equipment is being installed there and staff is undergoing training.

In 2008 a joint project of the European Union was launched “Improvement of the bordering and customs control in Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova (BOMBEL-3)” with the overall budget 30 million Euro, 14 million of which is allocated for Belarus. It is planned to use these funds for laying fiber-optic cable lines at the border with the European Union and to purchase equipment for the systemic biometric control and mobile x-ray machine. Also seminars and trainings for customs and borderguard officers, rescuers are being held within the project.   

The local population of the adjoined territories is taking active part within the cross-border cooperation programmes. From 2008 inhabitants of other regions of Belarus may also join these prorgammes apart from the inhabitants of the adjoined territories.

Challenges

Compared with the other countries such as for instance Ukraine and Moldova, Belarus is yet receiving fewer funds so far. Deterioration of the relations with the European Union and the lack of dialogue was the main cause. However there is hope for the improvement of the relations between the European Union and Belarus. The fresh impulse could be given after Belarus joins the Eastern Partnership Programme, believes the Executive Director of the Coordination Bureau of the TACIS Programme in Belarus Leonid Orlov. Recently the President of Belarus in an interview with the leading European informational channel EURONEWS stated that Belarus welcomed the steps made by the European Union within the Eastern Partnership Programme, “we welcome this positive step of the European Union forward towards improvement of the relations with its neighbours. It is  a pragmatic, reasonable and a timely move of the European Union”, said the Belarusian President.

All Belarusian partners have to realize that technical assistance is not a mere gift or an award, but also a certain burden and responsibility.

Sometimes the case is that the decision making process is delayed in time: one has to wait for experts to come and to make assessment… However there is a programme TAIEX, Technical Assistаnce Information Exchange for Belarus today (this programme is funding short-term and operational activities, as well as expert assessment, preparation and implementation of which takes only a few weeks, up to maximum 3 months).

Frequently the efficiency of cooperation is delayed by the language barrier: partners are not capable of translating efficiently all the documents at the local level.

Also an Informational and communicational system should be developed, distribution of information about the programmes (literally at the level of local councils), explanations, trainings and education, believes Leonid Orlov.

Ludmila Korsak

[email protected]

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