The difficulty of assessing the European Union's technical aid to Russia

After being in operation for seven years, Tacis, the EU program of technical aid to Russia, has not been seriously assessed by the European Commission, which oversees its implementation. The inadequate means of assessment chosen by the Commission is partly explained by the lack of a pertinent methodology for evaluating technical aid, especially in a political and economic environment as unstable as the Russian one. But it also reveals the Commission's difficulties with implementing a real strategy of aid to Russia. Despite the limits inherent in assessing such technical aid programs, an initial assessment of the actions already conducted can be made. This program's support for the transformation process in Russia turns out to be limited, especially due to its complicated, centralized procedures. Changing this aid program into a partnership, as undertaken over the past four years, should help reinforce its effectiveness and make it a basic instrument in Russian-EU relations.