In adopting the report by Mr Luciano VECCHI (PSE, UK) on decentralized cooperation, Parliament
amended the Council's common position, rejecting the main provisions proposed by the Council.
These provisions seek to:
- limit to three years (i.e. until 31 December 2000) the period of application of this regulation,
- set a financial reference amount of ECU 18 million for the three years of the programme,
- submit projects and programmes of a value of more than ECU 1 million to a committee.
Parliament also reintroduced certain amendments already adopted at first reading:
- participation in invitations to tender and the award of contract to be open on equal terms to natural
and legal persons of the Member States, the recipient country and other developing countries,
- where the quality of offers is the same, applicants from the recipient country and from developing
countries in the same regions to be given preferential treatment,
- greater transparency in the exchanges of views on the general guidelines for operations to be
carried out in the year ahead and a representative of the European Parliament to attend the exchange
of views.
Parliament also hoped that the Community character of aid provided under this Regulation would
be emphasized. Lastly, amendments were made with regard to comitology.
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