European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI)

From ENP-guide

Chapters in this sub section

Introduction
ENPI programming
The major ENPI programming documents on national level
The Major ENPI programming documents on regional level
The major ENPI tools on national level and regional level
ENPI Technical assistance programs on National Level
ENPI Regional Programmes

From 1 January 2007 onwards, as part of the reform of EC assistance instruments, the MEDA, TACIS and various other programmes have been replaced by a single instrument - the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument.^[1]

The ENP Action Plan (AP) is the central element of the European Neighbourhood Policy and ENPI is the main financial mechanism through which assistance is given to the ENP and Partner Countries (including Russia). The EU has agreed on such plans with 16 ENP member states.

The AP is a basic document that sets out an agenda of political and economic reforms with short and medium-term priorities and represents a blueprint for further activities of the EU and its partner country. The ENPI cooperation instrument is managed by EuropeAid, whose decisions taken on a political level are turned into actions on the ground.^[2]

Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006 constitutes the legal framework of all ENPI programs. It also lays out the fundamental principles of ENPI assistance: complementarity, partnership and co-financing. Indeed, ENPI assistance is intended to complement or contribute to national, regional or local strategies and measures.

Regulation 1638 states that “(…) Community assistance under this Regulation shall normally be established in partnership between the Commission and the beneficiaries. The partnership shall involve, as appropriate, national, regional and local authorities, economic and social partners, civil society and other relevant bodies.” “(…) The beneficiary countries shall associate the relevant partners as appropriate, in particular at regional and local level, in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of programmes and projects.”

ENPI assistance is disbursed through three types of programmes:

• Sixteen national programmes (one for each of the 16 participating countries);
• Three regional programmes (one each for the East and the South, and one trans- regional programme covering both);
• Fifteen Cross-border-Cooperation (CBC) programmes.

The total ENPI assistance budget for the period 2007-2013 is €12bn – a 32% increase over the previous seven year period.^[3] National programmes account for the lion’s share of this spending, with €4.1bn (73%) of the €5.6bn available for the period 2007–2010. The next biggest share is allocated for regional cooperation (€828m, 15%) and cross-border cooperation (€227m, 5%). The remaining (€400m, 7%), is to be used to support the Governance Facility and the Neighbourhood Investment Fund (described below).

Additionally, in accordance with the regulation, the Community assistance can be used “for contributions to the EIB or other financial intermediaries, in accordance with Article 23, for loan financing, equity investments, guarantee funds or investment funds" (see ENPI and international financial institutions).

Notes