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

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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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 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 and respectively million Euro.

12. 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

13. 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

14. Addresses and web sites related to Phare
(general information, tenders, monitoring)

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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

19. 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 :
The update of this ISPA Briefing Note, and other useful links:
ISPA Manual :
The rules for tendering and contracting are set in the Practical Guide of the European Commission:
The procurement opportunities:

20. 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%

21. 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

22. 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

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

24. 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

25. 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)

26. SAPARD ADDRESSES AND WEB SITES RELATED TO SAPARD
SAPARD Agency:
European Commission’s Delegation in Romania:
Site of DG Agriculture of the European Commission:
General information: http.//
Description of the Programme:
Reports: