IPA III: the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (2021–2027)

KEY POINTS

IPA III:

• covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey (Annex I);
• has the general objective of helping the IPA III beneficiaries align themselves with EU rules, standards, policies and practices to prepare for EU membership by promoting political, institutional, legal, administrative, social and economic reforms;
• identifies specific aims to:
  • strengthen the rule of law, democracy, human rights and economic and social development,
  • reinforce effective public administration, structural reforms and good governance,
  • shape rules, standards, policies and practices,
  • promote environmental protection and a low-carbon economy,
  • support territorial cohesion and cross-border cooperation;
• contains 20 thematic priorities, ranging from gender equality and quality employment to smart transport and safe food and water supplies (Annex II);
• must provide synergy with, complement and be consistent with other EU internal and external policies and funding;
• operates within the EU’s overall enlargement policy framework.

The budget for the 7-year programme is €14.162 billion. The funds may be used for:

• preparation;
• monitoring;
• control;
• audit;
• evaluation; and
• corporate information technology systems.

Finance to beneficiaries is based on:

• an IPA programming framework, which contains the annual expenditure that the European Parliament and Council of the European Union authorise and takes account of national strategies and sectoral policies;
• performance (Annex IV contains a list of key indicators) and fair share principles, and is targeted and adjusted to specific situations.

Cross-border cooperation projects benefit from up to 3% of the total budget with a maximum EU contribution of 85%.

EU Member States, IPA III beneficiaries, countries in the European Economic Area and the Neighbourhood Area (Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2021/947 — see summary) are all eligible for funding.

IPA III beneficiaries may obtain finance from the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus and the External Action Guarantee (under Regulation (EU) 2021/947).

Recipients of IPA III support must acknowledge the origin, and ensure the visibility, of the funding.

The European Commission:

• may adopt implementing and delegated acts;
• is assisted by a committee for the IPA and advised by a strategic board for the western Balkans.

Supplementing act

Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 was supplemented by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2128.

Implementing acts

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2236 lays down specific rules to ensure uniform implementation of IPA III assistance for IPA III beneficiaries. It also sets specific rules for cross-border cooperation and for agriculture and rural development assistance.