Brussels, 21/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission announced on Tuesday 20 December that it had finalised a series of aid programmes, worth almost €1 billion, to support reforms in countries wishing to join the EU. The funding comes from the 2011 Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) budget, under the transition assistance and institution building and cross-border cooperation components.
“All these programmes have been designed to achieve concrete results in terms of better public administration, more efficient judiciary and law enforcement, stable economy as well as safer environment”, said Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle.
The programmes will apply to Albania (€82 million), Bosnia and Herzegovina (around €91 million), Croatia (some €39 million), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (around €29 million), Montenegro (€26 million approximately), Serbia (around €178 million), Iceland (some €12 million) and Kosovo (approximately €63 million). Turkey will receive almost €233 million from the IPA and the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. Over €210 million will also be devoted to multi-beneficiary and other programmes. (CG/transl.rt)