PURPOSE : to change the Phare, ISPA, SAPARD and CARDS Regulations to take into account Croatia's candidate status.
LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Regulation 2257/2004/EC amending Regulations 3906/89/EEC, 1267/1999/EC, 1268/1999/EC and 2666/2000/EC, to take into account of Croatia's candidate status.
CONTENT : The European Council decided at its meeting in Brussels on 17 and 18 June 2004 that Croatia shall be a candidate country for membership, and requested the Commission to prepare a pre-accession strategy for Croatia, including the necessary financial instruments. Therefore:
- In order to provide pre-accession assistance to Croatia, the latter is included as a beneficiary under Council Regulations 3906/89/EEC (PHARE), Council Regulation 1267/1999/EC (ISPA) and Council Regulation 1268/1999/EC (SAPARD);
- Croatia will remain eligible for projects and programmes with a regional dimension through the CARDS Regulation;
- Some minor corrections are also made to the Regulations in question, to adapt the terminology to the one used now by the Financial Regulation.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 02/01/2005.