Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council – Instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA): Revised multi-annual indicative financial framework for 2012-2013

The Multi-Annual Indicative Financial Framework (MIFF) for the Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) is designed to provide information on the indicative breakdown of the overall IPA envelope proposed by the Commission in accordance with Article 5 of the IPA Regulation (EC) 1085/2006. It acts as the link between the political framework within the enlargement package and the budgetary process. The Multi-Annual Indicative Planning Documents (MIPD) established for each beneficiary country and for the multi-beneficiary programme, through which pre-accession aid is delivered, take into account the indicative breakdown proposed in the MIFF.

The MIFF is based on a rolling three-year programming cycle. Under normal circumstances, a MIFF for years N, N+1 and N+2 will be presented in the last quarter of year N-2 as part of the enlargement package, representing a proposed financial translation of the political priorities set out within the package itself, taking into consideration the Financial Framework. As 2013 represents the last budgetary year of IPA, this MIFF covers only changes foreseen in the two last years of the current multiannual financial framework, i.e. 2012-2013. It indicates the allocation of the envelope for pre-accession assistance by country and by component for these years, and also gives an indication of the multi-beneficiary programme envelope and support expenditure.

As in previous years, the MIFF is published based on the current status of the countries concerned and thus does not at this stage pre-empt any decision by the Council on the Opinions presented with the enlargement package or a likely date of accession for any candidate country. As such, it reflects the change of status of Montenegro which became a candidate country in December 2010, as well as the anticipated date of accession of Croatia on 1 July 2013. If any significant amendment to this MIFF would be needed before the next annual revision of the MIFF in autumn 2012, the Commission would publish an amended version at the appropriate time.

The overall political priorities for pre-accession are set out in the Accession and European Partnerships, the annual progress reports and the enlargement strategy paper contained in the enlargement package presented to the European Parliament and the Council each year.

EUR-Lex: COM(2011)641: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2011:641:FIN

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