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ISPA (Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession) was designed to address environmental and transport infrastructure priorities identified in the Accession Partnerships with the 10 applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe. ISPA was established by Council Regulation No. 1267/1999 in June 1999 to enhance economic and social cohesion in the applicant countries of Central & Eastern Europe for the period 2000-2006.
It only finances major environmental and transport infrastructure projects. Assistance is provided for large-scale transport infrastructure projects connecting the national transportation networks (railroads and highways, etc.) with the Trans-European (TEN) ones, as well as for the construction and renovation of ports and airports. The environmental protection measures financed by ISPA concern mainly drinking water supply, treatment of wastewater, solid-waste management, and air pollution projects.
Until 2003 the overall annual budget for the 10 countries of Central and Eastern Europe was € 1.1 Billion.
During its first four years of implementation (2000-2003), ISPA grant-aided over 300 large-scale infrastructure investments in the 10 candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia). Assistance amounted to EUR 7 billion for an investment value of over EUR 11.6 billion (current prices).
After the EU enlargement in 2004, the remaining ISPA beneficiary countries were Bulgaria and Romania, the other beneficiary countries having become eligible to the Cohesion Fund. Both countries, as decided at the December 2002 Copenhagen European Council, are benefiting from gradually increasing allocations from 2004 until 2006.Since the 1 st of January 2005, Croatia benefits from ISPA as well.
For the period 2004-2006, the total ISPA allocation amounts to nearly EUR 1 530 million, distributed as follows (2004 prices):
|
Country
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
Total
|
|
Bulgaria
|
135.5
|
146.8
|
158.2
|
440.5
|
|
Romania
|
316.5
|
342.6
|
368.8
|
1 027.9
|
|
Croatia
| |
25
|
35
|
60
|
|
Total
|
452
|
514.4
|
562
|
1 528.4
|
For the distribution of the resources between these countries, criteria based on population, per capita GDP (in purchasing power parity terms) and land surface area have been used. As before, the allocations will be spread evenly between the environment and transport sectors. The admissible grant ceiling amounts to 75% of the eligible public expenditure (up to 85% in exceptional cases). The actual grant rate depends notably on the following criteria: the matching funds available, any potential revenue generated from projects, and the application of the 'polluter-pays principle. |
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