DAC Members agree to untie, by 1 January 2002, ODA to the least developed countries in the following areas: balance of payments and structural adjustment support; debt forgiveness; sector and multi-sector programme assistance; investment project aid; import and commodity support; commercial services contracts, and ODA to non-governmental organisations for procurement related activities.

The programme will be financed by means of three Structural Funds : the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), under the responsibility of Commissioner Michel Barnier, accounts for about 51.3% of the Community funding, giving aid for businesses and infrastructure but also for loan schemes for SMEs, technology centres, information and communication infrastructure in training institutes and protection of cultural heritage in cities.

(16) In the light of the scope of this Regulation, consequent changes will need to be made to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 of 18 December 1989 on economic aid to certain countries of Central and Eastern Europe (PHARE)(7), to Council Decision 97/256/EC of 14 April 1997 granting a Community guarantee to the European Investment Bank against losses under loans for projects outside the Community (Central and Eastern European countries, Mediterranean countries, Latin American and Asian countries, South Africa, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina)(8), to Council Decision 1999/311/EC adopting the third pha ...[+++]se of the trans-European cooperation scheme for higher education (Tempus III) (2000 to 2006)(9) and to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90 of 7 May 1990 establishing a European Training Foundation(10).

IV?CORPORATE FINANCING PAGEREF _Toc498928777 \h IV?STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: AN INSTRUMENT FOR STRUCTURAL REFORMS DRAFT COUNCIL REPORT TO THE NICE EUROPEAN COUNCIL PAGEREF _Toc498928778 \h VI?PUBLIC FINANCES PAGEREF _Toc498928779 \h VI?EXCHANGE-RATE STRATEGIES FOR ACCESSION COUNTRIES COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS PAGEREF _Toc498928780 \h VIIRECASTING THE FINANCIAL REGULATION PAGEREF _Toc498928781 \h VIIIITEMS DEALT WITH OVER LUNCH PAGEREF _Toc498928782 \h VIIIITEMS APPROVED WITHOUT DEBATE PAGEREF _Toc498928783 \h XECOFIN PAGEREF _Toc498928784 \h X--Guarantee for loans for projects in Croatia PAGEREF _Toc498928785 \h XEXTERNAL RELATIONS PAGEREF _Toc498928786 \h X--Relations with Latvia participation in the "Youth" ...[+++]Programme PAGEREF _Toc498928787 \h X--Relations with Slovakia PAGEREF _Toc498928788 \h X--Relations with Slovenia - Autonomous measures regarding agricultural products PAGEREF _Toc498928789 \h X--European Economic Area PAGEREF _Toc498928790 \h XI--Relations with the ACP countries PAGEREF _Toc498928791 \h XI--Commodities PAGEREF _Toc498928792 \h XI--Textiles negotiations with the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia PAGEREF _Toc498928793 \h XI--Anti-dumping imports of hairbrushes from China, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand PAGEREF _Toc498928794 \h XIAPPOINTMENTS PAGEREF _Toc498928795 \h XII--Committee of the Regions PAGEREF _Toc498928796 \h XIITRANSPARENCY PAGEREF _Toc498928797 \h XII--Public access to Council documents PAGEREF _Toc498928798 \h XII_________________

ECSC lending in 1991 will show both a higher volume of traditional industrial loans (steel and coal) and growth in conversion loans (within the extended framework of the reformed Structural Funds) and loans for major infrastructure projects.

OTHER DECISIONS (Adopted without debate; in the case of legislative decisions, votes against and abstentions are indicated.) Industry The Council gave the assent requested by the Commission, under the ECSC Treaty, concerning: - financial aid of up to ECU 38 million for the grant of loans, under the twelfth programme, for the financing of housing for persons employed in ECSC industries over the last three years of that programme (1995-1997), which will be the last such programme; - the adoption of a reserve list of projects for techn ...[+++]ical steel research, to be financed as budgetary possibilities permit; - the grant of a loan to SIDEX S.A., Galati (Romania); - the grant of a loan for the joint financing of work on the construction of a high-speed railway line between Rome and Naples; - the authorization of State aid (Austria) during the period 1995-2002 to Voest Alpine Erzberg Gesellschaft mbH with a view to its gradual closure.