Government approved the bill on ratification the frame-agreement between the R. of Moldova and the Commission of the European Communities

Government approved the bill on ratification the frame-agreement between the R. of Moldova and the Commission of the European Communities on external assistance, signed in Brussels, on May 11, 2006. According to the provisions of the frame-agreement, European commission will offer assistance to the RM without imposing financial obligations on the Government from Chisinau. The agreement establishes the collaboration mechanism with new instruments of EU assistance, rules to be applied at the implementation of the planned actions, totally or partially financed by the community. In what concerns the opportunity of ratifying the agreement, the informative note accompanying the draft says that TACIS program of the European Commission operate in the R. of Moldova on the basis of the Financing Memorandum between the Government of the R. of Moldova and the European Commission, signed in Brussels, on February 3, 1994. TACIS is one of the main programs of technical assistance supporting the transition process of Moldova towards the consolidation of market economy and democratic society, the note says. Via the TACIS Program, in the period from 1991 to 2005, European Commission assigned about USD 140 mln to the R. of Moldova. This support was provided in the context of implementation of the National Program, Regional Cooperation Program and Transborder Cooperation Program. At the moment, as a consequence of launching by EU of the Neighborhood Policy, the European Commission proposed the beneficiary states to replace the Financing Memorandum by a Frame-Agreement, necessary for establishing the mechanism of collaboration with new assistance instruments of the EU. In 2007, when the R. of Moldova will pass to a new financing instrument by the EU, which would replace TACIS, it will be on the second place in what concerns the volume of assistance among the states to which the European Neighborhood Policy is applied.