cbib | Cross Border Institution Building

Common benefit will run the cooperation

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.

Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)

The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) is the new financial instrument for all pre-accession activities funded by the European Commission as of January 1st 2007. IPA replaces previously existing pre-accession instruments: Phare, ISPA, SAPARD, Turkey instrument and CARDS, thus uniting them under a single legal basis for all pre-accession assistance.

IPA objectives and scope

IPA, for the Financial Perspective period 2007-2013, has been designed to better adapt to different objectives of each beneficiary involved. It provides targeted and effective support according to their individual needs and progress.

In particular, IPA will help strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, reform public administration, carry out economic reforms, promote respect for human and minority rights, gender equality, support the development of civil society, advance regional cooperation, contribute to sustainable development and reduce poverty.

Beneficiaries

The beneficiary countries are divided into two categories: candidate countries already undergoing the accession process (Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey) and potential candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo under the UNSCR 1244).

IPA components

In order to achieve the objectives of the individual countries in the most efficient manner, IPA consists of five different components:

I Transition Assistance and Institution Building;
II Cross-Border Cooperation;
III Regional Development;
IV Human Resources Development;
V Rural Development.

The first two of aforementioned components are available to all beneficiary countries; measures similar to the other components (III-V) may be carried out by potential candidate countries under component I.