CARDS is an abbreviation and stands for Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation. In general there are many assistance programmes for the Balkans and South East Europe. The CARDS programme was established with the Council regulation No 2666/2000 of December 5 in 2000. The overall amount which has been spent by the European Union till the starting process with the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) was about 6.8 billion euros by the end of 2005.
A key factor in the external relations of the EU is to promote stability, democratisation and peace to non EU member states such as Europeans neighbours. The European neighbourhood policy is an example for the co-operation between the EU and the neighbours of the Union. Therefore in European Union law a debate is going on that the EU needs to have a legal personality. The EU needs to have legal personality in the future because the EU has internal policies that could only be fulfilled with external measures or policies. The status right now is that only the EC has treaty making competences. Those competences at the status quo are rather limited. Art. 24 of the EU Treaty (Nice) allows the EU to establish Agreements which are binding on the member states and the institutions of the Union. Such Agreements are for example the European “new” neighbourhood policy, Agreements for pre-accession or Agreements with the so-called ACP countries (African, Caribbean and Pacific countries).
The Western Balkan falls into the category of the Accession Agreements, which means the goal is the accession to the European Union and the transformation of the legal system(s) according to the acquis communautaire.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- The CARDS Programme with a special focus on Albania and the protection of the environment and natural resources as an CARDS objective
- The Western Balkan falls into the category of the Accession Agreements
- The overall objective of the 2002-2006 Country Strategy Paper (SCP) for Albania was to promote the SAP
- The protection of the environment and natural resources falls under Priority Sector No. 4 under the CARDS programme for Albania
- The four projects are:
- Hazardous waste management system (HWMS)
- Strengthening of environmental monitoring system
- Sustainable and Integrated Development of the Tirana-Durres region
- Construction of waste water treatment stabilisation ponds at Vlore.
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This document examines the CARDS program, focusing on its implementation in Albania and highlighting the crucial role of environmental protection and natural resource management within this framework. The objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the CARDS program's objectives, key themes, and specific examples of environmental projects in Albania.
- The CARDS program's role in promoting stability, democratisation, and peace in non-EU member states.
- The European Union's commitment to supporting the Accession Agreements, particularly within the Western Balkans.
- The importance of sustainable development and environmental protection as key components of the CARDS program's objectives in Albania.
- The challenges posed by past environmental mismanagement in Albania and the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing these issues.
- The significance of international cooperation and the involvement of specialized organizations in supporting environmental projects under the CARDS program.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter provides an overview of the CARDS program and its broader context within the EU's external relations policy. It discusses the program's origins, objectives, and funding. The second chapter focuses on the specific case of Albania, outlining the country's participation in the CARDS program and the key objectives of the program as applied to Albania. The third chapter delves into the Priority Sector No. 4 of the CARDS program in Albania, which focuses on the protection of the environment and natural resources. This section highlights the challenges faced by Albania in this domain, including environmental degradation and the legacy of past mismanagement. The chapter then outlines specific projects undertaken within Sector No. 4, including the Hazardous Waste Management System (HWMS), which aimed to improve waste management and reduce environmental hazards in Albania.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts explored in this document include the CARDS program, the European Union's external relations policy, accession agreements, sustainable development, environmental protection, waste management, and Albania's environmental challenges. The document also highlights the role of international cooperation and specialized organizations in addressing these issues. The case study of the Hazardous Waste Management System project in Albania exemplifies the practical implementation of the CARDS program's environmental objectives.
- Quote paper
- Harald Löberbauer (Author), 2006, The regional, structural and cohesion policy of the European Union: CARDS in Albania, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/58629
