CFCU Central Finance & Contracts Unit (Turkey)

The Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU) has been established by the Memorandum of Understanding which is signed between EU Commission and Turkish Government on 14th February 2002 which was subsequently ratified by the Grand National Assembly on the 29th January 2003.

CFCU is taking the responsibility for the overall budgeting, tendering, contracting, payments, accounting and financial reporting aspects of all procurement in the context of the EU funded programmes in Turkey. As a central unit CFCU is operating as an independent body but is attached to the EU Secretariat General and the National Aid Coordinator.

The Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU) is an integral part of the Turkish Administration that will take decisions autonomously under the responsibility of a Programme Authorising Officer (PAO). Although the CFCU is administratively linked (e.g. for logistic support) to the Undersecretariat of Treasury it operates completely independently of that institution.

The CFCU has the sole responsibility over the overall budgeting, tendering, contracting, payments, accounting and financial reporting aspects of the procurement of services, supplies, works and grants in the context of EU funded programmes in Turkey.

The CFCU ensures that the EU rules, regulations and procedures pertaining to the procurement of services, supplies, works and grants are adhered to and that a proper reporting system is functioning.

The CFCU advises the Senior Programme Officers (SPO) within the Line Ministries on EU external aid implementation procedures (e.g. procurement and contracting procedures), it being clear however that full responsibility for technical implementation remains with the SPO.