EUROPEAN STRUCTURAL FUNDS AND IPA - INSTRUMENT FOR PRE-ACCESSION ASSISTANCE

Regional differences within the European Union and the Member States themselves have always been considered as a barrier to a harmonised development of the Union, i.e. as an obstacle to cohesion, thus making regional policy one of the oldest Union policies. European Union structural funds have developed parallel with the Community's regional policy trends, since they comprise financial instruments whose aim is to achieve economic and social cohesion on the common European market. In the period 2007-2013, one third of the EU budget will be allocated for abating regional economic differences. Croatia, as an EU candidate country, began using the IPA pre-accession assistance fund in January 2007. General objective of the IPA programme is assistance to Croatia in harmonisation and implementation of EU legislation and stimulation of changes in all relevant social and economic areas, which will lead to the fulfilment of economic and political accession criteria. It also aims at the establishment of the appropriate structures within the public administration system that will be responsible for post-accession management and implementation of cohesion instruments (structural funds and Cohesion fund) as well as of agricultural and fishing EU policy.