Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance

The European Union (EU) provides assistance to countries in their process of preparing for EU membership through pre-accession funds to support their political, institutional, social and economic reforms towards membership and to help them achieve the Union standards. Initially offered through different Union programmes and financial instruments, these funds were brought together in 2007 under a single instrument and legal framework, the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). From that time on, IPA has become the main financial and technical assistance instrument for the candidate and potential candidate countries to help them achieve the Union standards.  Within this framework, IPA serves the purposes of harmonizing the legislation and standards of the countries in the process of preparation for EU accession with the EU legislation and standards, improving the capacity of institutions of the countries in the preparation process to execute such harmonization efforts and implement reforms during the accession process, and finally preparing them for the rights and obligations contemplated by the EU membership.

Türkiye benefits from the EU support among countries aiming for EU membership to the largest extent.

IPA funds are planned to span over 7-year periods in line with the European Union budget period. As such, IPA I, the first IPA implementation, was carried out during the European Union’s budget period covering the years from 2007 to 2013.

For the period from 2014 to 2020 following the first implementation period, the IPA II period was designed with an emphasis on the strategic perspective by considering the experience and outputs obtained during IPA I implementation period.

After becoming a candidate country at the Helsinki Summit held in 1999, Türkiye has been benefiting from EU funds aimed for accession to the Union. From 2002 to 2020, Türkiye has benefited from a total of EUR 9.2 billion in funding resources, with a share of 48.2% in the IPA I period and 25% in the IPA II period, gaining Türkiye the highest share as a beneficiary country out of the total allocation made in this context to countries in the process of preparation for EU accession.

The topics to be supported by IPA are identified at the beginning of 7-year budget periods in line with the EU’s strategies.  The country programmes and project documents on these topics are prepared in consultation with the EU with an aim to serve the general objectives. Implementing rules of IPA are individually designated for each period and, within this context, the EU enacts the legal arrangements and the details of implementation are clarified decided through agreements made with Türkiye.

Implementation of IPA in Türkiye requires an administrative structure to be in place. In this context, dedicated units have been formed in many institutions and their responsibilities have been elaborated. Financing process is conducted through Turkish institutions under an indirect management model. The general coordination duty has been entrusted with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate of European Union Affairs (NIPAC) as part of the indirect management model.

The Ministry of Treasury and Finance acts as the National Authorizing Officer and assumes the responsibility for the financial management of the IPA funds.  Our Ministry is a contracting authority that is in charge of budget execution and responsible for multi-annual sectoral operational programs.