Subject matter

This Regulation lays down specific rules establishing uniform conditions for implementing Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 and detailed rules implementing Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 with regards to methods of implementation, financial management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, transparency and visibility of IPA II assistance as well as specific rules for cross-border cooperation in the policy area ‘regional and territorial cooperation’ and assistance under rural development programmes in the policy area ‘agriculture and rural development’.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation the following definitions shall apply:

(a) ‘IPA II beneficiary’ means one of the beneficiaries listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 231/2014;

(b) ‘programme’ means an action programme, individual, special or support measures provided for in Articles 2 and 3 of Regulation (EU) No 236/2014;

(c) ‘framework agreement’ means an arrangement concluded between the Commission and an IPA II beneficiary applying to all IPA II policy areas and laying down the principles of the financial cooperation between the IPA II beneficiary and the Commission under this Regulation;

(d) ‘sectoral agreement’ means an arrangement concluded between the Commission and an IPA II beneficiary relating to a specific IPA II policy area or programme, setting out the rules and procedures to be respected which are not contained in the framework agreement or financing agreements;

(e) ‘policy area(s)’ means the main areas of cooperation addressed by actions funded by IPA II assistance, as provided for in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) No 231/2014;

(f) ‘authorities’ means public entities or bodies of an IPA II beneficiary or a Member State at national, regional or local level;

(g) ‘major project’ means a project comprising of a series of works, activities or services which is intended, in itself, to accomplish a definite and indivisible task of a precise economic or technical nature, which has clearly identified goals and whose total cost exceeds that which is specified in the Framework Agreement;

(h) ‘participating countries’ means the IPA II beneficiaries alone or the IPA II beneficiaries together with the Member State(s) or with the countries falling within the scope of the European Neighbourhood Instrument participating in a multi-annual programme for cross-border cooperation jointly drawn up by the participating countries;

(i) ‘financing agreement’ means an annual or multi-annual agreement concluded between the Commission and an IPA II beneficiary, for implementing the Union's financial assistance through an action falling within the scope of this Regulation.

CHAPTER II

General Framework for Implementation of IPA II Assistance

Article 3

Principles of Union financing

1. IPA II assistance shall support the implementation of the IPA II beneficiaries' reform efforts as referred to in Article 1 of Regulation (EU) No 231/2014. Specific programmes and stand-alone actions may require both IPA II beneficiary and Union financial contributions.

2. An expenditure item financed under Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 shall not be subject to any other financing under the Union budget.