Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia | Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)

IPA

Introduction

Over time, the EU has developed a broad spectrum of external aid programmes, which resulted in a complex set of more than 30 different legal instruments. The need to facilitate coherence and improve consistency of the Union’s action, and achieve better results and a higher impact with the resources available, led the Commission to propose a simplified framework for external actions over the 2007-2013 period.

New (and fewer) external relations instruments have therefore been designed to cover in particular the EU co-operation, respectively with developing countries and industrialised countries, the EU neighbourhood policy, enlargement and other specific themes. Among the proposed new legal bases, an instrument for pre-accession assistance, IPA, was presented by the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. The IPA Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 was adopted on 17 July 2006.

Objectives and scope of IPA

At the junction between external assistance and internal policies, IPA aims at providing targeted assistance to countries which are candidates and potential candidates for membership to the EU.

IPA supersedes the five previously existing pre-accession instruments, Phare, ISPA, SAPARD, Turkey instrument, and CARDS , thus uniting under a single legal basis all pre accession assistance. IPA has also been designed to better adapt to the different objectives and progresses of each beneficiary concerned, so as to provide a targeted and effective support according to their needs and evolution.

In particular, IPA will help strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, reform public administration, carry out economic reforms, promote respect for human as well as minority rights and gender equality, support the development of civil society and advance regional co-operation, and contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction. For candidate countries, the additional objective is the adoption and implementation of the full requirements for membership, whereas only approximation to these requirements will be requested from potential candidate countries.

Assistance under the IPA

In order to achieve each country's objectives in the most efficient way, IPA consists of five different components. As a result, all beneficiaries have access to measures of a similar nature, with adapted management requirements and in accordance notably with their actual political, economic and administrative situation.

In the case of candidate countries, measures relating to regional, human resources and rural development will be available under those components preparing for the implementation of EU cohesion and agricultural policies after accession. This requires that the country has the administrative capacities and structures to take responsibility for the management of assistance.

In the case of potential candidate countries, such measures will remain in the hands of the Commission, and implemented through the principal component of the instrument, the "transition assistance and institution building" component.

As regards financial allocations, IPA will provide a total amount of 11.468 million euros (current prices) over the 2007-2013 period. Each year, the Commission informs the European Parliament and the Council on its intentions regarding the breakdown of the total envelope. To that effect, a multi-annual indicative financial framework is established, on a three year basis, by country and by component. This financial matrix is revised yearly and included in the annual enlargement package of the Commission, which is presented each autumn to the Council and the European Parliament.

The implementation of assistance under IPA is ensured through annual or multi-annual programmes, as specified in the Commission regulation on Implementation of IPA. All programmes are designed following multi-annual indicative planning documents, a three-year strategy document for each country, where the major areas of intervention and the main priorities are presented by the Commission.

Country indicative financial allocation per component for the period 2007-2011 (in million Euro)

The EC has provided support to Serbia under a variety of financial instruments, including Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS), macro-financial support and humanitarian aid. Since 2007 Serbia has received EU financial aid under the instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA). One part of the assistance (Component I) focuses on implementing the main priorities of the European partnership while the other (Component II) supports cross-border cooperation activities between Serbia and EU Member States as well as with adjacent Candidate and potential Candidate Countries. The allocation for 2008 totals €190.9 million.

A number of civil society initiatives are also being supported both under the national IPA programme and by thematic financing instruments such as the European Initiative for Democratisation and Human Rights. Support to civil society under 2008 programmes amounts to over €6 million. In May 2007, Serbia was admitted to the EC Seventh Research Framework Programme. The related memorandum of understanding was signed in June 2007.

Annual or multi-annual programmes (depending on the component) are designed in accordance with the strategic MIPDs. They are adopted by the Commission following consultation with the beneficiary countries and other stakeholders. They are implemented in one of three ways: by centralisedassistance is managed by the Commission Headquarters in Brussels , decentralisedassistance is managed by the authorities of the beneficiary country as a result of an accreditation process carried out by the Commission or sharedassistance is managed by the authorities of one of the Member States participating in the cross-border programme management.