Capacity Development Programme

1. Capacity Development Programme IPA New Challenges for Management of EU Assistance Dragan Djuric Head of Capacity Development Unit Regional conferenceStrengthening National Capacities for Efficient Management of External Assistance 14-15 May 2007 Podgorica, Montenegro

2. The Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance • An integrated Pre-Accession Instrument to assist candidate countries (Croatia, Turkey) and potential candidate (Western Balkan) countries. • Replaces the previous pre-accession instruments (Phare, ISPA, SAPARD and Turkey pre-accession instruments) as well as the CARDS instrument. • Financial envelope (2007–13): less then 11 billion €(initial calculations were much bigger)

3. Specificities of IPA • Accession and pre-accession driven instrument • European and Accession Partnerships, Annually country Progress Reports, Strategy paper, Stabilisation and Association Agreements • Medium term perspective • 2007-2009 • 2010-2013 • Tool for accession

4. Aims of IPA • Potential candidate Countries: • support for participation in the Stabilisation and Association process all the way to their future accession • Candidate countries: • Full pre-accession support to help countries to: • Adopt and implement the acquis • Implement EU funds on accession

5. Structure of the IPA Five components: • Transition Assistance and Institution Building • Regional and Cross-Border Co-operation • Regional Development Preparation for European Fund for Regional Development • Human Resources Development Preparation for European Social Fund • Rural Development Preparation for Common Agriculture Policy

6. General policy and programming framework • Financial Framework: Multi-annual Indicative Financial Framework (MIFF), per country and per component, 3 years rolling forward, included in enlargement package. • Strategic programming: Multi-annual Indicative Planning Documents (MIPD), per country and for all components, integrated with MIFF. • Specific programming by country and by component • Regional programming

7. Multi-Beneficiary IPA • Regional Cooperation • South East Europe Cooperation Process • Infrastructure • Energy Community Treaty (2005) • Core Transprot Network (SEETO) - South East Europe Transport Observatory • Common Aviation Area (ECAA) • Regional Environmental Reconstruction Programme (REReP) • Sava River Commission • Project Preparation Facilities (PPF) • Justice and Home Affairs • Europol, Eurojust, Org. crime, Corruption… • Internal Market • CEFTA 2006. • Public Administration Reform • TAIEX, SIGMA, RESPA • Democratic Stabilisation • Civil society organization, social inclusion.. • Education, Youth and Research • Community programs: Tempus, Youth… • Market Economy, Administration, Nuclear

8. Why decentralisation? • To prepare beneficiary countriies: • to manage properly and effectively EU pre-accession funds, • to improve their own financial management systems • to increase ownership of EU assistance • To prepare PCC for candidate status, under which DIS will be required for components 3, 4 and 5. • To gradually prepare CC to manage, upon accession, European structural, cohesion and agricultural funds

9. New structures for DIS/IPA • National IPA Coordinator (NIPAC) • Competent Accrediting Officer (CAO) who should be a high-ranking official in the government or the state administration. • Senior Programme Officers (SPO) in line ministries with PIU • The National Fund which should be the central treasury entity within the Ministry of Finance through which the EU funds will be channelled towards beneficiaries. • The National Authorising Officer (NAO) who should lead the National Found and take the overall responsibility for the financial management of EU funds. • The Central Financing and Contracting Unit (CFCU) which should be the core body responsible for managing and implementing the projects in IPA components I, II, III and IV. Component V will have its own Operating Structure later. • An Audit Authority (AA) whichshould be responsible for verifying the effective and sound functioning of the management and control systems. Public Internal Finance Control (PIFC) Strategy development and implementation.

10. Roadmap to DIS - phases Preparation for Accreditation: (at least 15-24 months?) • Phase 0: Set-up of Structures • Phase 1: Gap assessment • Phase 2: Gap Plugging Accreditation at national level by NAO (min. 3-4 months?) • Phase 3: Compliance assessment Commission Decision Phase(min. 3-4 months?) • Phase 4: Decision of the European Commission – Autorisation of country institutions to switch on Decentralized Management System

11. DIS • Decentralised Implementation System implies obligations of beneficiary countries to manage the whole project cycle: • Programming, • Implementation, • (Tendering & Contracting) • Follow-Up • (Monitoring & Evaluation) • Sensitive issues: • Administrative capacities, new structures • Financial management, co-financing • Audit and control • Public procurement • Data base

12. Challenges - Problems • Development of efficient institutions at all levels and capacities to manage EU funds • Good knowledge of EU financial and programming procedures • Program preparation focusing on priorities in line with sustainable development strategy • Assistance (projects) data base • Long term programming • Insufficient skills to develop and manage the projects and related expertize, knowledge of languages • Administrative obstacles • Institutional building for higher Absorption capacity • How to treat internal and external funds – equal • Finishing of mandate of EAR / end of 2008 • No Delegation of EC

13. Main objectives • Building capacities and systems • Improving resource allocation, budgeting and programming of international assistance to meet national policy priorities • Framework for better monitoring and reporting • More accountability in policy implementation (spending linked to results) • More effective management of public funds • Developing Internal Auditing System • Develop governmental ownership