The IPA Adriatic Cross-border Programme is a cross-border programme co-financed by the European Commission through the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA).

The Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) is the financial instrument established by the European Union to assist candidate Countries (Croatia) to adopt and implement of the full acquis communautaire and to assist the potential candidate Countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia) to promote a degree of alignment with the acquis communautaire and approximation with the Accession criteria.

The IPA Adriatic Cross-border Programme aims at “strengthening the sustainable development capacity of the Adriatic Region through an agreed strategy of actions among the partners of the eligible territories”.

The eligible area of the Programme consists of the territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These are identified as NUTS III (or equivalent level) of
– three Member States (Italy, Greece, and Slovenia),
– a Candidate Country (Croatia),
– three Potential Candidate Country (Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Although not being territorially eligible for the Programme because it lacks of costal area, but taking into account its eligibility in previous INTERREG IIIA NPPA Adriatic Cross-border Programme 2004 -2006, Serbia participates in the Programme with the whole territory under a phasing out condition until 31 December 2012.

The IPA Adriatic Cross-border Cooperation Programme is the result of joint programming work carried out by the relevant participating countries and is part of the cooperation process in the Adriatic area. The Programme draws its strength and incisiveness from the wide experience, gained during the previous Programme period producing concrete results from the studies and analysis financed in the past.

Many factors make cooperation in the Adriatic area important today, particularly from a political and economic point of view:
– Factors connected to geographic and cultural proximity which make possible the intensification of multilateral relationships among Adriatic coastal regions to support local processes of harmonious growth, sustainable development and unity among peoples.
– Factors connected to the political stability of the area. Following ten years of conflict, the area is now moving towards progressive integration both “vertical” (within European and International institutions) and “horizontal” through the creation of a free trade area.

The Countries involved in the IPA Adriatic Cross-border Programme have appointed Abruzzo Region as Managing Authority. The Managing Authority is responsible for managing and implementing the Programme in accordance with the Programme and European Regulations.
The Managing Authority of the Programme is the pro tempore executive body of:
Regione Abruzzo – Direzione Affari della Presidenza, Politiche legislative e Comunitarie/Servizio Attività Internazionali

The Joint Technical Secretariat assists the Managing Authority and all the other Programme institutions in performing their tasks. It receives and assesses the project proposals. It is the major technical-administrative structure of the Programme.

The Joint Monitoring Committee verifies the effectiveness and quality of the implementation of the Programme. It is responsible for selecting and approving operations.

The Certifying Authority is competent for receiving the payments made by the Commission and transferring them to the beneficiaries.

The Audit Authority is responsible for the functioning of the management and control systems in accordance with the Programme and European Regulations.

The total Programme Contribution available in the first Calls for proposals of the period 2007/2013 was 75,000,00.00 EUR, broken down for the 3 priorities as following:

– € 25,000,00.00 Priority 1 – Economic, social and Institutional Cooperation
– € 25,000,00.00 Priority 2 – Natural and cultural Resources and Risks Prevention
– € 25,000,00.00 Priority 3 – Accessibility and Networks

Bosnia and Herzegovina are participating in six EU funded programmes in the 2007-2013 period. There are three bilateral CBC programmes: BH-Croatia, BH-Montenegro and BH-Serbia and three multilateral programmes: IPA Adriatic CBC and the two multilateral: South East Europe Programme and Mediterranean Programme. Therefore, IPA CBC bilateral Programme between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and IPA CBC multilateral programme Adriatic are two separate programmes with their own management systems, funds and their own rules for implementation.