16. Calls for early determination and provision of the share of the Aid for Trade resources; stresses that these funds should be additional resources and not merely repackaging of EDF funding, that they should conform to the priorities of the Central African region and that their disbursement should be timely, predictable and in line with the execution schedules of national and regional strategic development plans; opposes any kind of conditionality linked to the signature of EPAs in the matter of granting EU aid and calls on the Commission to guarantee that access to the funds of the 10th EDF is kept separate from the results and pace ...[+++] of the negotiations;

16. Calls for early determination and provision of the share of the Aid for Trade resources; stresses that these funds should be additional resources and not merely repackaging of EDF funding, that they should conform to the priorities of the Central African region and that their disbursement should be timely, predictable and in line with the execution schedules of national and regional strategic development plans; opposes any kind of conditionality linked to the signature of EPAs in the matter of granting EU aid and calls on the Commission to guarantee that access to the funds of the 10th EDF is kept separate from the results and pace ...[+++] of the negotiations;

For the time being it may look too much like a catalogue of worthy aims, but the Commission wants to reshape it and transform it into a road map for prosperity, identifying clear objectives and a demanding calendar.

At this point, the calendar was beginning to be a factor, as the suspension of the then-current redistribution process set out in Bill C-18 was due to end in days.

In terms of the timing, it seems the whole process—the issue of the year to realign the ridings, versus how long it takes for the notification period, the 90 days, and everything else—was designed for a different time of communications.

Furthermore, the decision is in accordance with the time schedule announced in 1999 which involved changing several A1- and A2 staff at the beginning of the Commission term and, subsequently changing others in the mid term period of the Commission (i.e. mid 2002).