10.9.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 289/68

(1)

At its 2571st session on 22 March 2004 the EU Council of Ministers agreed on the establishment of a Water Facility for ACP countries and agreed to consider an amount of EUR 500 million out of the conditional EUR 1 billion under the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) for this Water Facility. It also agreed to release immediately a first allocation of EUR 250 million from the conditional EUR 1 billion and to decide by March 2005 on the mobilisation of a second allocation of EUR 250 million and on the use of the remaining EUR 500 million of the conditional EUR 1 billion. The first allocation of EUR 250 million is distributed as follows over the envelopes referred to in paragraph 3 of the 9th EDF Financial Protocol: EUR 185 million to the envelope for support for long-term development, EUR 24 million to the envelope for regional cooperation and integration and EUR 41 million to the Investment Facility.

(2)

The Commission notified to the ACP Council of Ministers the increase of the 9th EDF intra-ACP allocation by EUR 24 million and proposed that these resources be used for a contribution to an ACP-EU Water Facility.

(3)

To ensure support for the implementation of the EU Water Initiative in ACP countries, it is appropriate to allocate resources to intra-ACP cooperation for a total amount of EUR 500 million, of which a first allocation of EUR 250 million can be made available from the resources released by the EU Council of Ministers. However, the envelope for regional cooperation and integration as defined in paragraph 3(b) of Annex I (Financial Protocol) to the Agreement is exhausted. The necessary resources must therefore be transferred from unallocated resources of the 9th EDF long-term development envelope and from the Investment Facility, referred to in paragraph 3(b) and (c) of the Financial Protocol.

(4)

Article 15 of the Agreement establishes an ACP-EC Council of Ministers with powers to take decisions in accordance with the Agreement,