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The cornerstone of IPA CBC will be the principle of “common benefit”. IPA CBC will operate on both sides of the border based on a single set of rules, thus providing the opportunity for fully equal and balanced programming and decision making structures between Member States and candidate/potential candidate countries.
From measures financed under IPA CBC both parties have to benefit, therefore, joint programmes, joint management and joint financing of projects will be required. Therefore, IPA CBC is meant to promote enhanced cooperation and progressive economic integration between the EU and the candidate/potential candidate countries.
Cross-Border Programmes
The programming document under IPA CBC is called cross-border programme and it is a multi-annual (2007-2013) basic document that governs the implementation of the IPA CBC Programme. Each cross-border programme has it own Strategic Framework with relevant documents (European partnership, Multi-annual Indicative Financial Framework (MIFF), Multi-annual Indicative Planning Document (MIPD) and other relevant national and regional strategic documents), analyses to be conducted and stakeholders to be consulted in the process on different levels.
Content of the cross-border programmes
It is recommended that each cross-border programme has four sections:
I Summary of the programming process
Eligible areas + Adjacent (if any)
Analysis of situation and SWOT
II Cooperation Strategy
Priorities and Measures
III Financial plan
IV Implementing provisions
Who prepares the cross-border programmes?
The cross-border programme is jointly prepared by the Drafting Teams of the respective countries. Final programme proposal needs to be approved by the national authorities of the participating countries and jointly submitted to the EC for evaluation and adoption.
Programming process on the Western Balkan internal borders was supported by the CBIB team in 2007.
Why do we need a cross-border programme?
The cross-border programme defines the framework for cooperation. It defines the priorities of the border regions and necessary measures to address the existing needs. The cross-border programme establishes eligibility rules for the selection of operations which prevent a duplication of efforts among different programmes, being under the IPA or other Community instruments or initiatives. Under the umbrella of the cross-border programme will be financed joint operations, jointly selected by the participating countries through a single call for proposals covering the whole eligible area.
The cross-border development projects that apply for funding have to be directly linked to the priorities defined by the relevant cross-border programme.
