L 354/82 Official Journal of the European Union 31.12.2008 REGULATION (EC) No 1339/2008 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 December 2008 establishing a European Training Foundation (recast) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO- PEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 150 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Having consulted the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3), Whereas: (1)  The European Council meeting at Strasbourg on 8 and 9 December 1989 called upon the Council to adopt, at the beginning of 1990, the necessary decisions for the establishment of a European Training Foundation for Cen- tral and Eastern Europe, acting on a proposal from the Commission. To this end on 7 May 1990 the Council adopted Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90. (2)  Council Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90 of 7 May 1990 establishing a European Training Foundation (%) has been substantially amended several times. Since further amend- ments are to be made, it should be recast in the interests of clarity. (3)  On 18 December 1989 the Council adopted Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 on economic aid to the Republic of Hungary and the Polish People’s Republic () which pro- vided for aid in areas including training to support the pro- cess of economic and social reform in Hungary and Poland. (4)  The Council subsequently extended such aid to other coun- tries of Central and Eastern Europe under relevant legal acts. (") Opinion of 22 October 2008 (not yet published in the Official Jour- nal). () Opinion of the European Parliament of 22 May 2008 (not yet pub- lished in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 18 November 2008 (O] C 310 E, 5.12.2008, p. 1) and Position of the European Parliament of 16 December 2008 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () OJL131,23.5.1990, p. 1. (*) OJL 375,23.12.1989, p. 11. (5)  On 27 July 1994 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 2063/94 (°) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90, with a view to including in the activities of the European Training Foundation the States receiving assistance under Regulation (Euratom, EEC) No 2053/93 of 19 July 1993 concerning the provision of technical assistance to eco- nomic reform and recovery in the independent States of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia (°) (the TACIS Programme). (6)  On 17 July 1998 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 1572/98 (7) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90 with a view to including in the activities of the European Training Foundation the Mediterranean non-member countries and territories which are beneficiaries of the financial and technical measures to accompany the reform of their economic and social structures pursuant to Coun- cil Regulation (EC) No 1488/96 of 23 July 1996 on finan- cial and technical measures to accompany (MEDA) the reform of economic and social structures in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (%). (7  On 5 December 2000 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 2666/2000 on assistance for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (%) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90 with a view to including in the activities of the European Training Foun- dation the Western Balkan States covered by Regulation (EC) No 2666/2000. (8)  External assistance programmes relating to the countries covered by the activities of the European Training Founda- tion are to be replaced by new external relations policy instruments, mainly the instrument established by Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 of 17 July 2006 establish- ing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) (19) and the instrument established by Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 2006 laying down general provi- sions establishing a European Neighbourhood and Partner- ship Instrument (11). OJ L 216, 20.8.1994, p. 9. ) (9 OJL187,29.7.1993, p. 1. () OJL206,23.7.1998, p. 1. (®) OJ L 189, 30.7.1996, p. 1. Regulation repealed by Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006. () OJL 306, 7.12.2000, p. 1. % OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 82. (1) OJ L 310, 9.11.2006, p. 1.