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Since the
signing of the Dayton/Paris Peace Agreements, the European
Union has been in the forefront of helping Bosnia and
Herzegovina along the road to consolidation of peace,
democracy and a viable market economy.
Europe's commitment covers
four main areas:
- repair of war damage and
reconstruction of housing and infrastructure;
- institution building;
- revitalisation of the
economy and private sector development;
- consolidation of democracy
and civil society.
The European
Union is the largest single donor to Bosnia and Herzegovina,
having pledged over 1 billion ECU for the 1996-1999
reconstruction period and a further 1 billion ECU in
humanitarian aid since 1992. EU reconstruction aid to Bosnia
and Herzegovina is mainly given in the form of grants with
no obligation other than the political commitment of the
beneficiary to comply with the Peace Agreements. The
European Commission (EC), the EU's executive body, is
responsible for the implementation of the EU aid programmes
in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The main areas of support are:
1. Reconstruction of
infrastructure
Energy
Water and waste
Mine clearance
Transport
Telecommunications
Reconstruction and
rehabilitation ("Europe for Sarajevo")
Micro projects and
small-scale operations
2. Democratisation, Social Cohesion and return
Reconstruction and return
Social Cohesion and
Development
Dayton institutions
Media and culture
3. Economic regeneration and natural resources
Economic regeneration
Institution strengthening
Natural resources
4. Customs and Fiscal Assistance Office (CAFAO) programme
Customs:
BiH is now a single and uniform customs territory
5. Humanitarian aid (ECHO)
Link to the ECHO web site: http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/en/index.html
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