PRE-ACCESSION PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION IN CROATIA Martina Mihić Central Office for Coordination of EU funds (CODEF) / Department for EU Programmes in the Field of Capacity Building for EU Accession

EU ASSISTANCE EXPERIENCE SO FAR... Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilization - CARDS - technical and financial assistance to countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) national CARDS component - from 2001-2004 is € 262 million (114 projects) regional CARDS component - allocation € 119 million Absorption rate: 2001 – 96.4% 2002 – 96.1% 2003 (projections) – around 98.4% Many of CARDS projects are still to be implemented from 2005 PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD allocation for 3 accession related programmes: is € 105 million in 2005 and € 140 million in 2006 = € 245 million in 2005-2006 Two types of assistance: Technical assistance: consulting, twinning Investments: supplies, works

FROM 2007- SINGLE INSTRUMENT FOR PRE-ACCESSION ASSISTANCE (IPA) New financial instrument (2007-2013) to better prepare future Member States for EU Cohesion policy and Structural Funds 5 components: IB and transition assistance Cross-border cooperation Regional development Human resources Rural development

IPA ALLOCATION (2007- 2010/ M€) 2007 2008 2009 2010 IB and transitional assistance 1 49,6 45,4 45,6 39,5 2 CBC 9,7 14,7 15,9 16,2 3 Regional development 44,6 47,6 49,7 56,8 4 Human resources 11,1 12,7 14,2 15,7 5 Rural development 25,5 25,6 25,8 26,0 TOTAL 138,5 146,0 151,2 154,2 589,9

STATE OF AFFAIRS: PROGRAMMING IPA – IB AND TRANSITION ASSISTANCE 28 PROJECT PROPOSALS submitted in April (total allocation for IPA –transition assistance and institutional building - 49,6 m€.) Formal approval of the projects by IPA Management Committee Financing Agreement to be signed by end 2007.

BASIC CRITERIA FOR PRE-ACCESSION PROJECTS ARE: Projects must be acquis-related! Project proposals in line with priorities in light of EU accession process National co-financing of investments Project maturity (readiness to implement the project) Absorption capacity of the beneficiary institutions Minimum amount 2 m€

RESPONSIBLE BODIES FOR COORDINATION OF EU FUNDS IN CROATIA CODEF - CENTRAL OFFICE FOR STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND COORDINATION OF EU FUNDS: Coordination of Programming Priority and Project Identification Coordination of Project Formulation Quality control of Project Fiches Monitoring FINAL BENEFICIARY Technical issues of programme implementation is in full responsibility of the authorities responsible for implementing each individual programme SPO - Senior Programming Officer responsible for project design and implementation, supported by PIUs.

CENTRAL FINANCING AND CONTRACTING UNIT (CFCU) - MINISTRY OF FINANCE CFCU DIS - Decentralized Implementation System accredited in February 2006; CFCU have the responsibility over the: Financial reporting side of the procurement of services, supplies, and works in the contexts of DECENTRALIZED EC assistance programmes in the RoC. Payments Accounting Contracting

TASKS AHEAD REGARDING SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECTS: Ensure adequate number of civil servants for the EU programmes management Provide continuous training for preparation, implementation and monitoring of projects Retention policy: prevent trained personnel from leaving the service To improve horizontal co-operation between programme stakeholders To timely ensure co-financing of programmes from the national budget