The IPA Regulation provides for assistance in the context of the pre-accession process, and decentralised management of funds shall be applied wherever possible. The decentralised management of the IPA funds is established in order to enhance ownership of the management of assistance by the beneficiary countries.
Under decentralised management, the Commission confers the management of certain actions on the beneficiary country, while retaining overall final responsibility for general budget execution in accordance with Article 53c of Regulation (EC/ Euratom) No 1605/2002 and the relevant provisions of the EC Treaties, shall apply to the implementation of assistance under the IPA Regulation.
For the purposes of assistance under the IPA Regulation, decentralised management shall cover at least tendering, contracting and payments.
Before deciding to confer management powers relating to a component, a programme or a measure on the beneficiary country, the Commission shall satisfy itself that the country concerned meets the conditions referred to in Article 56(2) of the Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002, in particular as regards the management and control systems established, and that the accreditations are in force.
- Accreditation of the National Authorising Officer and the National Fund
- Accreditation of the Operating Structure
Before the conferral of management powers, the Commission shall review the accreditations and examine the procedures and structures of any of the bodies or authorities concerned within the Beneficiary Country.
The Commission Decision on the conferral of management powers shall lay down the list of the ex ante controls, to be performed by the Commission on the tendering of contracts, launch of calls for proposals and the award of contracts and grants. This list may vary with the component or the programme.
The ex ante controls shall apply, depending on the component or programme, until the Commission allows for decentralised management without ex ante controls as referred to in Article 18 of the Commission Regulation (EC) No.718/2007 (IPA Implementing Regulation).