Preparations for use of IPA funds presented

The Central State Office for the Development Strategy and Coordination of EU Funds and the European Commission Delegation to Croatia on Monday presented the preparations Croatia is making for the IPA pre-accession programme and the instruments of the EU's cohesion policy.

The presentation was held at a conference which marked the completion of a CARDS project of support for planned national development in Croatia, whose beneficiary is the Central State Office.

Also presented was an umbrella strategic document for the use of the 3rd and 4th components of the IPA programme, a framework for the adjustment of strategies in the 2007-13 period, which defines possible areas of investment from IPA - infrastructure in environmental protection and transport, economic competition, regional development, employment and education.

Financial assistance is the most concrete, visible and useful way in which the European Union shows that it cares about Croatia as a future member, said Vincent Degert, the chief of the EC Delegation.

He said that this assistance was currently about EUR 150 million per year, but would reach one billion in 2008.

After Croatia joins the EU this assistance will be several times higher and Croatia must not waste time in preparing for the use of European funds, Degert said, adding that this did not refer only to state institutions, but to regional authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises and civil society organisations as well.

There is a threefold task ahead for Croatia - how to spend the money, for what purposes and in what way, he said, adding that this called for improving absorption capacities, devising good strategies and programmes, effectively implementing them, and having transparent rules, for example on public procurement.

The state secretary at the Central State Office, Martina Dalic, underlined the importance of good preparation for the use of European funds, recalling that funds not used within the set deadlines would go back to the EU budget.

The EC recently adopted four Croatian operational programmes - for environmental protection, regional competition, traffic, and human resources development. The documents define the priorities for using financial assistance in said areas and will be implemented until 2012.

A total of EUR 71.3 million will be set aside for transport-related projects and another EUR 71.3 million for environmental protection in the 2007-09 period, of which 75% are non-repayable funds from the IPA programme, while 25% is provided by Croatia.

Forty-seven million euros has been secured for regional competition, of which Croatia will provide 25%, while EUR 45 million has been secured for the development of human resources, of which 15% comes from the Croatian budget.

Operational programmes for the remaining IPA components are expected to be adopted by the end of the year, said Dalic.

The Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) for the 2007-13 period replaces the previous CARDS, Phare, ISPA and SAPARD programmes.
The main IPA goals are support to EU accession candidates and potential candidates in adjusting their legislation to the acquis communautaire, implementing adjusted regulations, and in using funds Croatia will have at its disposal upon joining the EU - structural, agricultural and the Cohesion Fund.

Nearly EUR 750 million is envisaged for Croatia from IPA in the 2007-11 period. (Hina)

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