DECISION

No 2/2008

OF THE

ACP-EC

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

of 18 November 2008

on the allocation of resources to Somalia from the 10th European Development Fund

(2008/951/EC)

THE ACP-EC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS,

Having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 and revised in Luxembourg on 25 June 2005(1), and in particular Article 93(6) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) By Decision No 3/2001 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers(2), an amount of EUR 149 million was allocated for development finance cooperation with Somalia for the period until the end of 2007, from the eighth and ninth European Development Funds (EDF) in pursuance of Article 93(6) of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement. That provision allows the ACP-EC Council of Ministers to accord special support to ACP States party to previous ACP-EC Conventions which, in the absence of normally established government institutions, have not been able to sign or ratify the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement.

(2) By Decision No 3/2007(3) of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 25 May 2007 amending Decision No 3/2001, this allocation of resources to Somalia was increased by EUR 36 144 798 from the ninth EDF.

(3) The revised ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, including the multiannual financial framework for the period 2008 to 2013 contained in Annex Ib thereto(4), entered into force on 1 July 2008. Article 93(6) thereof still applies to Somalia.

(4) To ensure the continuation of the support to the population of Somalia, it is appropriate to allocate resources for this purpose from the 10th EDF which will cover the period 2008 to 2013.

(5) Somalia should benefit from allocations from the 10th EDF which are comparable to those received by countries from the ACP group which have ratified the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement. If Somalia had been included in the 10th EDF aid allocation model, which is based on needs and performance criteria as set out in Article 3 of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, the resulting allocation should amount to EUR 212 million to cover macroeconomic support, sectoral policies, programmes and projects in support of the focal or non-focal areas of Community assistance and EUR 3,8 million to cover unforeseen needs as defined in that same Article. Equivalent amounts should thus be provided for special support.

(6) The ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 25 May 2007 agreed to delegate to the Committee of Ambassadors its power to complete the work on the revision of the special support to Somalia under the 10th EDF,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

1. An amount of EUR 215,8 million shall be taken from the 10th European Development Fund reserve for national and regional cooperation for special support in favour of Somalia in accordance with Article 93(6) of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement. From this amount:

(a) EUR 212 million shall be used for institution building and economic and social development activities, taking particular account of the needs of the most vulnerable sections of the population. This allocation shall be programmed under a special assistance strategy;

(b) EUR 3,8 million shall be used to cover unforeseen needs such as emergency assistance where such support cannot be financed from the EU budget.

2. The Commission shall assume the functions of National Authorising Officer for the programming and implementation of this allocation in accordance with Article 4(5) of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement.

Article 2

The European Commission is requested to take the measures necessary to give effect to this Decision.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, on 18 November 2008.

The Chairman

of the ACP-EC Committee of Ambassadors by delegation, for the ACP-EC Council of Ministers

SELLAL

(1)

OJ L 209, 11.8.2005, p. 27

(2)

OJ L 56, 27.2.2002, p. 23

(3)

OJ L 175, 5.7.2007, p. 36

(4)

OJ L 247, 9.9.2006, p. 22