Recital 25

(25)Assistance should be managed in accordance with the rules for external aid contained in Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities ¹², with due provisions aimed at protecting the financial interests of the Community. Continued efforts should be made to improve the implementation of development cooperation to achieve a sound balance between financial resources allocated and absorption capacity, as well as to reduce outstanding commitments.