The Assembly of Contributors is the main governing body of the NDEP which decides on the grant allocations from the NDEP Support Fund, based on proposals put forward by the Steering Group and the Nuclear Operating Committee.

The NDEP Support Fund

The NDEP Support Fund pools financial contributions from partner governments - including Russia - to leverage environmental investment for urgent projects prioritised jointly by the NDEP Steering Group and the Nuclear Operating Committee and approved by the NDEP Assembly of Contributors.

The Fund became operational in July 2002 once a minimum number of five contributors, including Russia, made pledges totalling €100 million. The Fund is governed by the Rules of the NDEP Support Fund, which were agreed by the EBRD’s Board of Directors in January 2002.

The NDEP Support Fund is managed by the EBRD and builds on its experience gained through a large number of international projects in Russia, notably managing five international funds for nuclear safety in Russia and other countries. The NDEP Support Fund is set to run till 2017.

The NDEP Assembly of Contributors

The NDEP Assembly of Contributors is the ultimate governing body of the NDEP Support Fund. The Assembly is responsible for the overall policy of the Fund, authorises grant allocations from the resources of the Fund and supervises the implementation of the policy. The Assembly is currently chaired by the Fund’s largest contributor, the European Union.

The Assembly meets regularly, generally once a year, and is governed by the Rules of Procedure to the Assembly.

For a short account of all Assembly meetings, visit our news section.

The NDEP Steering Group

The NDEP Steering Group comprises representatives from the European Commission, Russian Federation, and the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) operating in north-west Russia, namely the EBRD, NIB, EIB, NEFCO and the World Bank.

The Group meets regularly throughout the year to consider, in line with the NDEP selection criteria, new funding requests on a project-by-project basis. These are then developed as project proposals to the Assembly for grant allocations. The Steering Group also studies the progress achieved to date on the on-going projects and discusses the policy and strategy issues including replenishment of the Fund.

The IFIs have a key role within the Steering Group in identifying potential investments, asessing financing capacities and developing new project proposals. They are able to build on their extensive knowledge and experience of working in the region and good client relations.

The Chair of the NDEP Steering Group rotates among the IFIs each year. As of July 2009, the EIB has been acting as the Group’s Chair.

For a short account of all Steering Group meetings, visit our news section.

The Nuclear Operating Committee

At its first meeting the NDEP Assembly of Contributors decided to establish, in line with the NDEP Rules of the Fund, a Nuclear Operating Committee (NOC) for the nuclear window regulated by the Nuclear OC Mandate. The main task of the NOC is to identify, propose and prioritise projects in the nuclear window which fulfil the objective of the NDEP Support Fund. It also provides assistance during the implementation of projects and works in close collaboration with the Fund Manager, the Russian Federation and the Steering Group.

Two windows, one vision

The NDEP Support Fund finances investment in two areas: nuclear safety and non-nuclear environmental improvements in water, wastewater, solid waste and energy efficiency, which involve different counterparts and require differenct expertise. Nevertheless, the Fund's two windows – environmental and nuclear safety – share the same objective: tangible benefits to the environment and the people of the Northern Dimension Area.