Press Release: The Commission wants to overhaul the management of its support programmes

The Commission wants to overhaul the management of its support programmes. Ultimately 99 of the 119 existing technical assistance offices (TAOs) are to disappear. In the field of external action in particular, an agency is to take over much of the work done by the TAOs. On 26 July 2000 the Commission adopted a communication proposed by Ms Schreyer, the Budget Commissioner, on the impact of this policy on the 2001 budget. Pending the introduction of the new structures, and in particular the adoption of a legal basis for executive agencies, the Commission is proposing two transitional arrangements to be applied on a case-by-case basis: either the work will be taken over by temporary staff within the Commission; or the contracts of existing TAOs will be extended, where appropriate with some restrictions on the tasks assigned to them. The Commission will be sending the necessary proposal to the budgetary authority - Parliament and Council.

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