JOINT FOLLOW UP COMMITTEE CONVENES FOR FIRST TIME
ANKARA - The Joint Follow Up Committee formed between Turkey and the European Union (EU) Commission for the process of following and assessing projects and programs under Turkey-the EU financial co-operation, has convened for the first time at Turkey's Secretariat General for the EU.
Turkey's Secretary General for the EU Murat Sungar and Matthias Ruete, the director of the EU Commission Enlargement Directorate Division for Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey are presiding the meeting.
Highlighting importance of the most high-level meeting under Turkey-the EU financial co-operation, Sungar said that the projects presented by Turkey to the EU about financial cooperation and their implementations would be assessed at the meeting.
Sungar said that 50 projects worth of 630 million euro in the aggregate including 32 MEDA projects, 17 projects, which have been carried out under the pre-accession financial co-operation, and rehabilitation project for Marmara quake-stricken region, would be taken up.
''During the meeting, the sides will assess whether or not financial support of the EU to Turkey has been used in an influential way. Also, Turkey's capacity to use these support will be assessed,'' he said.
Meanwhile, Ruete said that the committee was formed under development and presentation of pre-accession financial support, adding that formation of the committee was the sign of that Turkey had been assessed in the same way with other candidate countries.
Noting that the EU's financial support to Turkey would increase in the coming years under pre-accession financial support, Ruete said that amount of financial support was expected to rise to 250 million euro in 2004 and 500 million euro till 2006.
Ruete said that the Follow Up Committee would monitor Turkey's using the support efficiently.
The Joint Follow Up Committee will take up the financial co-operation projects and programs under the ''Synthesis Follow Up Report'' and the ''Country Assessment Report''.
(UK-AÖ) 15.12.2003