23.7.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 206/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1572/98 of 17 July 1998 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90 establishing a European Training Foundation THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 235 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), (1) Whereas the European Council meeting in Stras- bourg on 8 and 9 December 1989 called upon the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commis- sion, to adopt the necessary decisions for the estab- lishment of a European Training Foundation for Central and Eastern Europe; whereas to that end on 7 May 1990 the Council adopted Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90 (‘) which established the said Founda- tion; (2) Whereas, pursuant to Regulation (EEC) No 1360/ 90, the countries eligible for the Foundation’s programmes are the countries eligible for economic aid pursuant to Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 (°) (PHARE programme) and Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 1279/96 (°) (TACIS programme); (3) Whereas the representatives of the Council, the Commission, the Member States and the Mediter- ranean partner countries, meeting in Barcelona on 27 and 28 November 1995, agreed in their Declara- tion on the establishment of a Euro-Mediterranean partnership to place greater emphasis on the social, cultural and human dimension; whereas, in order to contribute to the attainment of that objective, the work programme implementing the Barcelona Declaration provides for an initial focus inter alia 1 () OJ C 156, 24. 5. 1997, p. 27. () OJ C 104, 6. 4. 1998. () OF C 19, 21. 1. 1998, p. 45. () OJ L 131, 23. 5. 1990, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 2063/94 (OJ L 216, 20. 8. 1994, p. 9). () OJ L 375, 23. 12. 1989, p. 11. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 753/96 (O] L 103, 26. 4. 1996, p. 5). () OJ L 165, 4. 7. 1996, p. 1. on vocational training, to which the European Training Foundation will contribute; whereas the European Council, meeting in Madrid on 15 and 16 December 1995, called upon the Council and the Commission to put into practice the Barcelona Declaration and work programme; (4) Whereas Regulation (EC) No 1488/96 (") provides for financial and technical measures to accompany the reform of economic and social structures within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean partner- ship (MEDA); (5) Whereas, in the context of the Mediterranean part- ners’ efforts to reform their economic and social structures, the development of human resources is essential for the attainment of long-term stability and prosperity and in particular the achievement of socio-economic equilibrium; (6) Whereas the Foundation was set up to provide a flexible response to the specific and differing requirements of the individual countries to be assisted; whereas, in providing assistance on the basis of Community experience in the area of voca- tional training, the Foundation is charged with collaborating with regional, national, public and private facilities in the Community and third coun- tries, and with exercising its functions in close cooperation with existing national and inter- national institutions; whereas the possibility exists for participation by third countries which share the Community’s commitment to the provision of aid in the training field; whereas consistency and complementarity between the work of the Founda- tion and other Community actions should be ensured; (7) Whereas the Foundation’s knowledge and direct experience of the specific requirements and circumstances of the eligible countries in the field () OJ L 189, 30. 7. 1996, p. 1.