IPA Supports
Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)
In parallel with the developments, the European Union made changes in the financial aid mechanism it provided to candidate countries with the budget period of 2007 - 2013. Accordingly, financial aid provided to candidate and potential candidate countries has been combined under the name of Pre-Accession Assistance Instrument (IPA).
Structured in five sections, IPA provides transition period and institutional structuring support, as well as pre-accession financial support in new areas determined as environment, transportation, regional competition, human resources development and rural development. In addition, candidate countries continue to participate in Union Programmes, whose contributions are partially financed under IPA.
IPA Components:
I. Transition Period Support and Institutional Structuring
II. Cross-Border Cooperation
III. Regional Development
IV. Human Resources Development
V. Rural Development (IPARD)
The fund allocated to countries within the scope of IPA between 2007 and 2013 amounts to approximately 9.9 billion euros. Approximately half of this amount, 4.8 billion euros, has been allocated for Turkey, taking into account its population and surface area. (Table-2)
Table-2: IPA I Period (2007-2013) Turkey Financial Aid Amounts (million euros)
The main purpose of IPA is to support projects that serve the needs and priorities of the candidate country towards EU membership. Funds provided through projects aim at harmonization with the EU acquis and creating the administrative capacity necessary for this harmonization. In addition, projects aimed at ensuring economic and social harmony (regional development, agricultural and rural development, cross-border cooperation and SME projects) are also increasing day by day within financial aid.
In addition to the participating country Croatia, IPA includes candidate countries (Iceland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey) and potential candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo). (Table-3)
Table-3: Distribution of 2007-2013 IPA Period EU Financial Assistance by Candidate and Potential Candidate Countries
*Croatia has become a member of the EU since July 2013.
**Iceland started to benefit from aid in 2011.
The main document indicating in which sectors EU financial assistance can be used in programming IPA components and determining priorities is the "Multi-Annual Indicative Planning Document (MIPD"). The document in question has been prepared for 3-year periods and has been revised annually by the European Commission with the contributions of our country. Within the framework of the Commission's new approach, the projects to be implemented in the 2011-2013 period are aimed to be concentrated in the priority sectors determined in the MIPD document. The aim of this approach is to use limited resources in more specific areas to make the effects and results of the projects much more noticeable and visible.
One of the goals of the new financial aid approach is to further increase the share allocated to our country in the 2014-2020 EU budget, whose preparations are ongoing, through the implementation of projects whose results are more visible and tangible. At this point, the performance of our country in the 2007-2010 period and the 2011-2013 period has been effective both in the fund allocation and Turkey's EU membership in general. During this period, studies were carried out to be effective and take a more active role in the decisions to be taken by the EU to protect our national interests.
In order to benefit from financial assistance under IPA, the beneficiary country must establish the necessary administrative structures. What these administrative structures are and their functions are explained in the IPA Implementing Regulation[3]. The beneficiary country is obliged to ensure separation of duties between these administrative units and authorities. After these units and authorities are established and start functioning, the EU transfers the management authority over the aid funds to the beneficiary country.
Turkey signed an IPA Framework Agreement with the European Commission in 2008 to regulate the functioning of the new financial assistance mechanism during the IPA I period[4]. In accordance with this agreement, a Prime Ministry Circular No. 2011/15 was published to reorganize the Decentralized Structuring in accordance with IPA regulations.
IPA-I Transition Period Support and Institutional Structuring
Public institutions/organizations benefit from the Transition Period Support and Institutional Structuring component, which is one of the most important components of IPA implementation.
Issues such as acquis alignment, public administration reform, justice and home affairs reform, development of civil society and fundamental rights, environmental policy, education and health system reform, a more efficient and effective fight against corruption and financial control are financed under this component through projects.
Another important pillar of this component is the development of EU-Turkey civil society dialogue. In this context, hundreds of non-governmental organizations have been and continue to be involved in the program through the Civil Society Dialogue projects carried out by the Ministry of EU Affairs and implemented since 2006. (www.ab.gov.tr)
In addition, the funds under the component support participation in the Union Programs and Agencies in which our country has participated since 2006. These programs and agencies aim to ensure the establishment of partnership awareness, innovation and entrepreneurship by improving cooperation and communication between countries. It is possible for citizens, businesses, non-governmental organizations and public institutions to participate in these programs.
IPA-II Cross-Border Cooperation
Türkiye is under this component Bulgaria-Türkiye IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program and European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) Cross-Border Cooperation Program in the Black Sea BasinParticipates in. The Ministry for EU Affairs has been serving as the National Authority for Cross-Border Cooperation Programs since June 2010.
The Turkey-Bulgaria Turkey IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program, which covers the provinces of Edirne and Kırklareli in Turkey and the cities of Burgaz, Yambol and Hasköy in Bulgaria, supports projects that contain small-scale cultural and social elements that can have a regional impact. For the program, local/regional authorities in the above provinces, regional offices and other relevant structures of central government administrations, business support institutions and organizations – chambers of commerce, industry and tradesmen, labor market management institutions; tourism boards and associations; Educational institutions and organizations and NGOs can apply.
The Cross-Border Cooperation Program in the Black Sea Basin aims to ensure stronger regional cooperation and partnership. Under the program, which includes Turkey as well as Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and Greece, the projects to be financed in 25 provinces on and around the Black Sea coast, including Istanbul, will be carried out in cooperation with other countries participating in the program and cross-border projects. It must be of a quality that will have an impact. In addition to initiatives in the field of culture and education, supporting cross-border partnerships for economic and social development, sharing resources and experiences to protect the environment and raising awareness are among the priorities of the program.
IPA-III Regional Development
The Regional Development component consists of the main headings of Environment, Transportation and Regional Competitiveness. The Ministries of Environment and Urbanization, Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, and Science, Industry and Technology are responsible for the execution of projects in these areas in our country, respectively. This component, which includes large investments, is, in a sense, a preparation for the post-membership structural funds for the candidate country.
Multi-annual Operational Programs prepared under this component are strategic documents and roadmap documents for projects. The 2007-2009 Transportation, Environment and Regional Competitiveness Operational Programs approved for this purpose have been rearranged to include the perspective of 2010-2013.
The Transport Operational Program aims to create an effective and balanced transportation system and to improve our country's transportation infrastructure to ensure safety and interoperability on the Trans-European Networks (TEN-T) to be built. (http://op.ubak.gov.tr)
The Environmental Operational Program aims to protect the environment, improve the people's living standards in terms of environment, wastewater treatment, provision of quality drinking water and establishment of integrated solid waste facilities. (http://www.ipa.gov.tr/TR/Anasayfa.aspx)
The Regional Competitiveness Operational Program aims to increase the competitiveness of our country's economy and reduce regional socioeconomic differences. (http://ipa.sanayi.gov.tr/tr/default)
IPA –IV Human Resources Development
In this field, our country, like other candidate countries, is supported in the preparations for the implementation and administration of the Union harmonization policies, especially in the preparations for harmonization with the European Social Fund within the framework of the European Employment Strategy.
The "Human Resources Development Operational Programme", coordinated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, aims to increase employment capacity and strengthen human capital in regions whose per capita national income is below 75% of the Turkish average. In this context, Employment, Education and Social Inclusion have been determined as priority areas. (http://wwwremote.ikg.gov.tr/openform/HRDOP.aspx)
The priority of employment is to increase the participation of young people and women in employment and to ensure their continuity in employment. Within the scope of this priority, it is also envisaged to create public awareness about participation in employment through education and vocational training. In addition, promotion of registered employment, implementation of more effective labor force policies, provision of higher quality services and public employment services are of great importance.
With the priority of education, it is aimed to increase the quality of education, to raise the level of education at all ages, especially girls, and to strengthen the link between the labor market and education. With Lifelong Learning, it is expected to disseminate and improve these learning opportunities and to increase the ability of workers, employers and businesses to adapt to changing conditions.
Within the framework of the Social Inclusion priority, it is aimed to facilitate the access of disadvantaged people to the labor market and social protection and to remove the obstacles to their access to the labor market.
The IPA-IV component is implemented in two ways:
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Operations (Umbrella Projects): In order to carry out activities at the national level, develop institutional capacity and determine national policies, the Ministry of National Education, Turkish Employment Agency; These are "umbrella projects" called "operations" through public institutions and organizations located at the center, such as the Social Security Institution.
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Grant Programs:The most important part of the operations (umbrella projects) is the grant programs to be used by relevant parties at the local level. With grant programs, local institutions, social partners, non-governmental organizations, universities, municipalities and governorships are given the opportunity to identify their current problems, develop common solution proposals for these problems and implement them.
IPA-V Rural Development
Within the scope of the component, it is planned to provide financial support through grant programs to businesses, producer individuals, cooperatives and producer unions operating in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, food, fisheries and alternative agriculture.
These grant programs are planned to be implemented by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock and the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution (TKDK) to cover a total of 42 provinces.
The funds are allocated within the framework of the priorities determined in the Rural Development (IPARD) Program dated February 2008, which aims to raise agricultural enterprises to Union standards in order to ensure sustainable development, taking into account Turkey's priorities and needs in the pre-accession period.
In this component, all authority regarding the use of funds has been transferred to ARDSI by the EU. Unlike other components, profit-oriented private and legal entities can also benefit from this component.
The budget allocated for the years 2007-2013 in the field of Rural Development is 854.6 million euros.
IPA II PERIOD
II. of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), covering the years 2014 - 2020. The Term will be carried out as a continuation of Term I, within the framework of the objectives of improving our country's capacity for harmonization and implementation of the EU acquis and building its capacities for economic and social harmony.
In the new period, a sectoral approach has been adopted by the Commission for more effective use of funds, and within the scope of this approach, the component-based structure in the first period of IPA has been removed and certain sectors that are planned to be financed in the new period and the sector responsible organizations that will carry out the work within these sectors has been determined.
The new era IPA II Regulation No. 231/2014 dated 11 March 2014, which constitutes the legal infrastructure on the EU side, was adopted on 15 March 2014; The IPA II Implementing Regulation No. 447/2014 dated 2 May 2014 was published in the EU Official Journal on 3 May 2014.
Indicative Strategy Paper for Turkey (2014-2020), which is the document showing the main financing priorities of aid within the scope of IPA, was accepted by the Commission on 26 August 2014.
As included in the said Strategy Document, our total allocation for 7 years is 4,453.9 billion Euros.
Table 4: Indicative Allocation Table by Policy Areas and Sectors, 2014 – 2020 (Million Euros)
The following 9 priority sectors and sector responsible organizations have been determined for the new period:
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Democracy and Governance (Ministry of EU)(Harmonization with the EU Acquis, Union Programs and Civil Society)
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Justice, Internal Affairs and Fundamental Rights, (Ministry of Justice, Minister of Internal Affairs, Ministry of EU.)
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Transport, (Ministry of Transport, Communications and Maritime Affairs)
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Environment and Climate, (Ministry of Environment and Urbanization)
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Energy, (Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources)
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Competitiveness and Innovation (Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology)
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Employment, Human Resources Development and Social Policies, (Ministry of Labor and Social Security)
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Agriculture and Rural Development, (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock)
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Regional and Cross-Border Cooperation (Ministry of EU)
IPA III PERIOD
Source: Republic of Turkey Foreign Affairs
