Day 1 Training in Project Cycle Management, Procurement and Contracting of Pre-Accession Projects and Management of EU Structural Instruments

The Accession Process Agenda 2000 (July 1997) Commission Opinion (July 1997) The Regular Reports (1998 - 2003) Accession Partnerships (Oct 99, Nov 01, May 03) National Programme for Accession of Romania to the EU (June 2002)

Agenda 2000 The EU’s plans for 2000-2006 The new financial perspectives, 2000-2006 Legislative proposals: Common Agricultural Policy Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund Pre-accession instruments (Ispa, Phare, Sapard) Commission Opinions on candidate countries

Criteria for Membership The Copenhagen Criteria (1993) Stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities The existence of a functioning market economy able to cope with the competitive pressures of the single market The ability to take on the obligations of membership, including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union Madrid Criterion (1995) The capacity effectively to implement and enforce the Acquis

Agenda 2000 The Commission Opinion Romania is on the way to satisfy the political criteria Has made progress in creation of a market economy but still faces difficulties in coping with competitive pressures of the single market Little progress on transposing and enforcing the acquis

Regular Reports Describes relations between Romania and the EU Analyses the situation with regard to the political conditions, i.e. democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the protection of minorities Assesses the situation with regard to economic conditions, i.e market economy, capacity to cope with competitive pressure Examines Romania’s ability to take on the obligations of membership, i.e. the ‘acquis’ Gives a general evaluation of Romania’s situation and the prospects on the road to accession

Accession Partnership Assessment of the priority areas for the candidate countries in order to prepare for accession Outlines how Pre-Accession programmes will support such preparations Single framework for programming priorities and financial resources Multi-annual but reviewed as required (Regular Progress Reports)

National Programme for Accession of Romania to the EU Sets out in detail how the Accession Partnership will be implemented Provides a timetable for achieving priorities and objectives Indicates human and financial resources to be allocated

Chapters of the Acquis Free movement of goods Free movement of people Freedom to provide services Free movement of capital Company law Competition Agriculture Fisheries Transport Taxation Economic & monetary union Statistics Social policy & employment Energy Industrial policy SMEs Science and research Education and Training Telecoms and IT Culture & audio-visual Regional policy & coordination of structural instruments Environment Consumer protection and health Justice and home affairs Customs union External relations Common foreign & security policy Financial control Financial and budgetary provisions Institutions Other

Regular Report November 2005 Assesses progress on each of the chapters of the acquis Assesses progress on achieving the priorities and objectives in the Accession Partnership Identifies what still needs to be done

Phare Pre-cursor to Structural Funds Phare support: IB (institutional building): assistance to adopt and enforce the acquis Investment support: for the enforcement of the acquis and investment in economic and social cohesion The national allocation for Romania, 2004, about 384.9 million Euro (national programmes and CBC)-65% for IB and associated investments and maximum 35% for investments in ESC. As for the years 2005 and 2006, excluding CBC programmes, the national allocations will be about 396.9 and respectively 438.5 million Euro.

Phare Financial rules: All investment projects (and investment associated with IB projects) must receive co-financing from national public funds EC will finance up to 75% of eligible public expenditure, the balance to come from national public funds

Phare Annual and multi-annual approach Multi-annual approach applies to the following sectors: Public administration reform Finance Agriculture Environment Justice Border Management Minority Issues Economic and Social Cohesion: IB and investments

Addresses and web sites related to Phare (general information, tenders, monitoring) www.infoeuropa.ro http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/index.htm http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/gestion/index.htm http://ted.eur-op.eu.int/ojs/en/eurlex.htm http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/

ISPA - Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession Pre-cursor to Cohesion Fund Environmental measures to meet: requirements of EU legislation objectives of Accession Partnerships Transport infrastructure measures which promote: sustainable mobility main links to EU and between applicant countries inter-connection and interoperability of national networks

ISPA - Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession The objectives of ISPA: To help beneficiary countries to catch up with EU environmental standards To extend and link up their transport systems with the Trans-European transport networks To familiarise applicants with policies and procedures of the EU Structural and Cohesion Funds Romania benefits from 240 million Euro/year for transport and environmental projects

ISPA - Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession Beneficiaries of ISPA projects: Central authorities (Ministries in line) Local authorities (County Councils, Mayors Offices) Autonomous Regions National Companies capable of developing large infrastructure projects, e.g. National Administration of Roads and National Company for Railways.

ISPA - Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession Financial rules: Minimum 25% of co-financing from the beneficiary, 75% of public expenditure can be covered by ISPA funds

ISPA - Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession ADDRESSES AND WEB SITES RELATED TO ISPA ISPA Regulation 1267/99 and the Application Forms and other standard documents for both transport and environment projects : http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/funds/ispa/docum_en.htm The update of this ISPA Briefing Note, and other useful links: http://www.infoeuropa.ro ISPA Manual : http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/funds/download/manu_en.pdf The rules for tendering and contracting are set in the Practical Guide of the European Commission: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/gestion/index_en.htm The procurement opportunities: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/index_en.htm

SAPARD Special Pre-Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development Pre-cursor to Agricultural Funds Supports Rural development and agricultural improvement Regional tourism projects Agro-food industry Targeted at private companies and farmers Maximum aid rate – 75%

SAPARD The objectives of SAPARD: To solve specific problems related to a sustainable rural development; To improve the standards regarding production, processing and marketing of agricultural products and to bring them closer to the EU standards; To help Romania in the implementation of the EU legislation (“acquis communautaire”) in this field. Romania benefits from about 150 million Euro annually between 2000 and 2006

SAPARD GENERAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA The projects must be in rural areas (exception: in urban areas only if modernization or development of existing capacities is involved) The projects must contribute to improving the situation of regions where they are located The economic and financial viability of the projects should be demonstrated through a feasibility study and a business plan. (the business plan is required for projects > 50,000 EURO) The applicant or his/her staff (persons responsible for the projects) must prove by documents his/her professional experience related to the project The projects must correspond to EU and Romanian norms related to environmental protection The applicant must not have financial losses or debts to the state budget or social insurance budget

SAPARD Beneficiaries of SAPARD projects: big and medium-sized private agricultural producers; groups of farmers; small and medium sized private enterprises; municipalities; NGOs, etc.

SAPARD Romania benefits of the following measures: Axe 1: Improving the competitiveness of processed agricultural and fishery products 1.1 Improvement of the processing and marketing of the agriculture and fish products 1.2 Improving structures for quality, veterinary and plant-health controls; foodstuff and consumer protection Axe 2: Improving infrastructure for rural development and agriculture 2.1 Development and improvement of rural infrastructure 2.2 Water resources management Axe 3: Development of the rural economy 3.1 Investments in agricultural holdings 3.2 Setting up of producer groups 3.3 Agriculture production methods protecting environment and maintaining the countryside 3.4 Economic diversification 3.5 Forestry Axe 4: Development of human resources 4.1 Improvement of vocational training 4.2 Technical assistance

SAPARD Financial rules: Co-financing rules: contribution of the Romanian Government amounting 50 million Euro/yearly (25% of the total eligible public expenditure). the technical assistance measures are funded up to 100%. Co-financing rules: private beneficiaries have to finance minimum 50% of proposed project’s costs by their own resources; public beneficiaries (e.g. local communities) can benefit from 100% external financing if their projects do not generate revenues (in the case that they generate revenues the 50% limit also applies)

SAPARD ADDRESSES AND WEB SITES RELATED TO SAPARD SAPARD Agency: www.sapard.ro European Commission’s Delegation in Romania: www.infoeuropa.ro Site of DG Agriculture of the European Commission: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/external/enlarge/index_en.htm General information: http.//www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement Description of the Programme: http://www.europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l04000.htm Reports: http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/reports/ceeccomp/index_en