By reforming and unifying previous financial support instruments for candidate countries and potential candidates for membership (CARDS, SAPARD, ISPA, PHARE, Turkey Instruments), the European Union established the Pre-accession Support Instrument in 2006, with the aim of supporting the strengthening of institutions in an efficient and comprehensive manner, implementation of key reform processes within the EU accession process, but also to support overall socio-economic development.
IPA is implemented through several separate parts, i.e. components/areas of support/sectors within which individual multi-year or one-year programs or projects are implemented. Each project, in addition to IPA funds, must also include a certain amount of funds allocated from the national budget, in the form of national co-financing. This amount varies depending on the area of support, the type of project and the contract being implemented.
The rules regarding the implementation of support are defined by the following regulations:
Regulation of the European Commission on the establishment of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Support (IPA), dated June 12, 2007.
including:
Amendments_no._802010_to_Regulation_EK_7182007.pdf, dated January 28, 2010;
Amendments_no._8132012_to_Regulation_EK_7182007.pdf, dated September 12, 2012;
Amendments_no._4842013_to Regulation_EK_7182007.pdf, dated May 24, 2013.
In order to increase the overall impact, the EU’s comprehensive financial support focuses on areas where reforms or investments are most needed to meet the accession criteria. The priorities are providing assistance to the beneficiary countries in implementing political reforms, supporting social and economic development, strengthening regional integration and territorial cooperation, and strengthening the ability of beneficiaries to fulfill obligations arising from EU membership through harmonization and implementation of the EU acquis.
IPA encourages the efforts of beneficiary countries to strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, reform state administration, reform the economy, respect human and minority rights, promote gender equality, strengthen civil society, improve regional cooperation, achieve sustainable development and reduce poverty.
Since the beginning of the implementation of IPA support, which is planned and implemented at the seven-year level, projects supported by IPA funds have been implemented or will be implemented in Montenegro through the financial perspectives of IPA 2007-20013 (IPA I), IPA 2014-2020 (IPA II) and IPA 2021-2021 (IPA III). In addition to individual projects that are implemented through the aforementioned seven-year financial perspectives within national programs, IPA also includes support provided through regional programs and instruments, such as the Multi-Beneficiary IPA program, the Western Balkans Investment Framework and Union Programmes, as well as through cross-border programmes and transnational cooperation.