Union programmes (European Union Programmes) represent joint activities aimed at improving cooperation between EU member states in areas related to common policies. Although primarily intended for member states, certain programs are available as part of pre-accession support to countries that are in the process of European integration.
Through participation, the states in the pre-accession phase have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the modalities of cooperation in EU sector policies and use the available support for the implementation of national and international projects. In accordance with the provisions of Protocol 8 of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, specific conditions related to each individual program are defined by an agreement signed by the European Commission and Montenegro. Since it is necessary to pay an annual financial contribution to participate in the program, the Agreement stipulates that a certain percentage of the mentioned funds will be refunded from the Instrument of Pre-Accession Support (IPA). For the period 2021-2027 (IPA III), that allocation is expected to be around 650,000 euros per year.
The implementation of the program takes place in a centralized system in which the European Commission is responsible for financial management, preparation and announcement of tenders, evaluation and selection of submitted offers, preparation and signing of contracts, as well as monitoring of project implementation. In some cases, management is entrusted to executive agencies of the European Commission, while financial supervision and audit are carried out by the Commission, OLAF and the European Court of Auditors. For Montenegro, participation in Union Programs represents a significant step in fulfilling the criteria for EU accession in the fields of science, culture, education, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Union programs enable the active participation of state institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and civil society institutions, which further strengthens their role in the EU accession process. In addition, participation in these programs encourages institutions to make efforts in the future to further improve and preserve administrative capacities and maintain contacts and improve cooperation within EU networks, established through participation in Union Programs.
In the period 2021-2027, Montenegro will participate in nine Union Programmes for which financial support for the payment of part of the annual participation is provided from the funds of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA):
- Horizon Europe
- Erasmus +
- Creative Europe
- Citizens, equality, rights and values
- Single Market Program
- EaSI – European Program for Employment and Social Innovation
- Customs
- Fiscalis
- EU for Health – EU4Health
- Digital Europe