Commission Regulation (EC) No 718/2007Show full title

Commission Regulation (EC) No 718/2007 of 12 June 2007 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 establishing an instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA)

CHAPTER IIU.K.Programming

Article 68U.K.Programming framework

[F1Assistance under this component shall in principle take the form of:]

  • national programmes,

  • regional and horizontal programmes and facilities.

Article 69U.K.National programmes

[F11. National programmes shall be adopted by the Commission on the basis of proposals from the beneficiary country, which shall take into account the principles and priorities set out in the multiannual indicative planning documents referred to in Article 5. Proposals shall in particular list the priority axes to be covered in the beneficiary country concerned, which may include the areas of assistance laid down in Article 64.

2. Beneficiary countries’ proposals shall be selected through transparent procedures, including consultation of the relevant stakeholders while proposals are being drafted.

3. Each year, following discussions between the Commission and the beneficiary country about their proposals, project fiches shall be submitted to the Commission by the beneficiary country. The project fiches shall set out clearly the priority axes, the envisaged operations and their chosen implementing methods. Financing proposals shall be prepared by the Commission in view of the project fiches.]

4.Financing proposals shall be adopted by means of a financing decision, in accordance with Article 8.

5.A financing agreement as provided for in Article 8 shall be concluded by the Commission and the beneficiary country.

Article 70U.K.Participation in Community programmes within national programmes

1.Assistance may be granted to support the participation of beneficiary countries in Community programmes. The participation shall be set down in the national programmes.

2.The total funds given in Community support for participation in Community programmes shall not exceed the limit set down in the national programme.

3.The participation of beneficiary countries in Community programmes shall follow the specific terms and conditions set out for each such programme in the memorandum of understanding to be concluded by the Commission and the beneficiary country, in accordance with the agreements establishing the general principles for participation of the beneficiary countries in Community programmes. It shall include provisions on both the total amount of the beneficiary country's contribution and the amount funded by assistance under the IPA regulation.

Article 71U.K.Participation in Community agencies within national programmes

1.Assistance may be granted to support the participation of the beneficiary countries in Community agencies. The participation shall be set down in the national programmes.

2.The beneficiary countries may be invited to participate on an ad hoc basis in the work of various Community agencies. The costs of their participation may be funded by assistance provided under the IPA Regulation in a similar way to that applicable to participation in Community programmes.

Article 72U.K.Regional and horizontal programmes

1.The Commission shall draw up regional and horizontal programmes, in full coherence and coordination with national programmes, on the basis of the relevant multi-annual indicative planning documents and in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

2.The regional and horizontal programmes shall be designed to promote regional cooperation and to strengthen multi-country exchanges in the beneficiary countries, and to support initiatives encouraging beneficiary countries to cooperate in areas of common interest.

[F13. The regional programmes shall cover beneficiary countries in the Western Balkans. The programmes shall in particular target reconciliation, reconstruction and political cooperation in the Region.]

4.Horizontal programmes shall cover some or all beneficiary countries in areas of common interest where assistance can be implemented more effectively and economically through such programmes than through national programmes.

5.Under the regional and horizontal programmes, assistance may be granted in areas such as project preparation facility, support to civil society, customs, support for small and medium-scale enterprises, municipal finance facilities and municipal infrastructure, statistics, nuclear safety, information and communication.