Pre-Accession Policy

• Year: 2022

PRE-ACCESSION

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5. PRE-ACCESSION POLICY

5.1. Introduction

Section 5 presents a statistical evaluation of irregularities and fraud detected by the

beneficiary countries during 2022 with reference to the pre-accession policy. It places these

detections in the context of past years and relevant programming periods.

The beneficiary countries must report fraudulent and non-fraudulent irregularities to the

Commission through the Irregularity Management System (IMS). When reference is made

to fraud or fraudulent, this includes both suspected and established fraud

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. Differently from

the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Cohesion and Fisheries policies, there are no

exceptions to reporting in IMS. Irregularities must always be reported in IMS, (i) also when

they are detected and corrected before the expenditure is introduced in a statement submitted

to the Commission; (ii) also when the financial amounts are below EUR 10 000.

The EU provides pre-accession assistance to candidate countries and potential candidates for

EU membership to support them in meeting the accession criteria and to bring their

institutions and standards in line with the EU acquis

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. Before 2022, candidate countries

were Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye; potential candidate were

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo

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. During 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and

Ukraine have been granted the status of candidate countries and Georgia has been given a

European perspective.

5.2. Instruments for Pre-accession Assistance

5.2.1. Before 2007: Pre-accession Assistance (PAA)

Before 2007, the EU has been providing pre-accession assistance to candidate countries

through a number of separate instruments. The PHARE programme provided support for

institution-building measures and associated investment, as well as funding measures to

promote economic and social cohesion and cross border cooperation. The ISPA programme

dealt with large-scale environmental and transport infrastructure projects, while the

SAPARD programme supported agricultural and rural development. For the programme

years 2002-2006, Türkiye received assistance under the specific pre-accession-oriented

framework of the Pre-accession Financial Assistance for Türkiye (TIPAA). The CARDS

programme was the main financial instrument to promote stability in the Western Balkans

and facilitate the region’s closer association with the EU. The countries that joined the EU in

2004

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received a Transition Facility (TF) in 2004-2006, as did Bulgaria and Romania in

2007-2010. All pre-2007 programmes and projects have been completed.

5.2.2. 2007-2013: The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA I)

For the period 2007-2013, the EU supported reforms in the ‘enlargement countries’ (i.e., the

candidate countries Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye and

potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo), providing financial and technical

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See footnote 19.

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Source: https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/policy/glossary/terms/preaccession-assistance_en

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This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ

Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

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Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.