IPA I & IPA II Programming

IPA I PERIOD

The first period of Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) covering the years between 2007-2013 was implemented for the establishment of institutional capacity towards Türkiye’s alignment with the acquis communautaire and its implementation along with the establishment of capacity for the economic and social cohesion.

To this end, the EU funds allocated to Türkiye amounting to 4,7 MEUR in total was used by our relevant Authorities within the scope of five components as following. 

While capacity building projects towards the alignment and implementation of acquis communautaire are funded under component-I, activities aiming at cooperation for economic and social development in the border regions are supported under component-II. Planning, programming, monitoring and evaluation of both components are carried out by the Ministry for EU Affairs.

Environment, transport and regional competitiveness operational programmes which are implemented under component-III, Regional Development, provide financial support for waste water, water supply, integrated solid-waste infrastructure projects, railways infrastructure projects and projects in fields of SMEs, industrial infrastructure, research-development, innovation, information society and tourism respectively. These Operational Programmes are implemented under the responsibility of Ministry of Environment and Urbanism, Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology.

The majority of human resources development operational programme which is managed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is consisted of grant programmes and aim at increasing employment opportunities during the transition period to information society and promoting social inclusion through financial support for the projects in the fields of employment, education, life-long learning and social inclusion.

On the other hand, Rural Development Programme (IPARD) is implemented by Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. In this scope, financial support is provided for enterprises, individual producers, cooperatives and producer’s unions which are active in the fields of agriculture, food, fishery and alternative agriculture through grant programmes.

IPA II PERIOD

Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) second period covering 2014-2020 is implemented in the framework of Türkiye’s targets which are capacity development in terms of EU acquis alignment and economical and social cohesion.  

European Commission has introduced the sectoral approach in the new period for the effective utilization of funds. Within the framework of this sectoral approach, instead of the components based structure at the first period of IPA, some priority sectors to be financed and the responsible lead institutions to conduct the sectoral preparations have been identified.

Reference documents which set the legal basis for IPA II:

-          IPA II Regulation was published on 15 March 2014

-          Rules of Application was published on 3 May 2014

The main document of this new period indicating the financing priorities of assistance under IPA is the Indicative Strategy Paper for Türkiye (2014-2020), which was adopted by the Commission on 26 August 2014.

The total allocation for Türkiye under IPA II for 7 years amounts to 4.453,9 MEUR, as stated in the Country Strategy Paper. The details of the allocated budget are given in the below table.

The priority sectors and the lead beneficiaries as identified for IPA II period:

1. Democracy and Governance, (Ministry for EU Affairs - Alignment with EU acquis, Union Programmes and Civil Society)

2. Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights, (Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior and Ministry for EU Affairs)

3. Environment, (Ministry of Environment and Urbanization)

4. Transport, (Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications)

5. Energy, (Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources)

6. Competitiveness and Innovation (Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology)

7. Employment, Human Resources Development and Social Policies, (Ministry of Labor and Social Security)

8. Agriculture and Rural Development, (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock)

9. Territorial Cooperation (Ministry for EU Affairs)

Framework Agreement

The Framework Agreement, transferring the implementation principles into internal legislation was signed by the National IPA Coordinator (NIPAC), H.E. Ambassador Mr. Rauf Engin SOYSAL, on 11 February 2015 in Ankara. The Law No. 6647 regarding approval of the Framework Agreement by Turkish Grand National Assembly was promulgated on the Official Gazette dated 28 April 2015. Council of Ministers’ decision approving the Agreement was published in Official Gazette on 21 June 2015 numbered 29393. As per the provision regarding entry into force after the exchange of Note Verbales, the Agreement entered into force 22 June 2015.

The Prime Ministry Circular

The Prime Ministry Circular numbered 2015/15 regulating the distribution of roles and responsibilities of the relevant institutions in Türkiye entered into force on 8 December 2015.

The Presidential Circular

Presidential Circular No. 2019/20 which is an updated version of the previous one under the new governmental system, has been published in the Official Gazette dated 4 October 2019 and numbered 30908 and entered into force. The circular aims to determine the public administrations which shall ensure that the funds provided by the European Union under the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) are used in accordance with agreements concluded with the EU and within the framework of effective administrative and financial management principles. The Circular also aims to regulate the relations among these institutions.

Sectoral Agreement

Sectoral Agreement of the Agriculture and Rural Development to be concluded between Türkiye and European Commission was signed by the NIPAC, H.E. Ambassador Rauf Engin Soysal, on 7 August 2015 on behalf of Türkiye and signed by Jerzy Plewa, the General Director of DG AGRI on 24 September 2015 on behalf of the European Commission.   

Council of Ministers’ decision approving the Agreement was published in Official Gazette on 19 November 2015 numbered 29537. As per the provision regarding entry into force after the exchange of Note Verbales, the Agreement entered into force 25 November 2015.