Aims of IPARD
Part of the instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA), the instrument for pre-accession assistance for rural development (IPARD) focuses on rural areas and the agri-food sectors of countries in the process of joining the EU.
Through this tool, the EU provides the beneficiaries with financial and technical help with the aim of:
- making their agricultural sector and rural areas more sustainable;
- aligning them with the EU's common agricultural policy.
The current candidate countries and beneficiaries are: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.
For the period 2014-20, IPARD had a budget of €946 million from the EU buget. Each country also contributes to the budget through national public funding. The beneficiaries may also have to fund a share of the project.
Please consult national IPARD programmes for the amounts actually allocated in each annual EU budget decision.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All countries | 74 | 94 | 112 | 203 | 211 | 227 | 233 | 1154 |
| Albania | 0 | 0 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 71 |
| Montenegro | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 39 |
| North Macedonia | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 60 |
| Serbia | 0 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 40 | 45 | 175 |
| Turkey | 69 | 69 | 69 | 148 | 148 | 149 | 149 | 801 |
Related information
Instrument for pre-accession assistance
IPARD support
IPARD programmes are based around measures set at European level.
- Measure 1 – "Investments in physical assets of agricultural holdings" helps farms invest in buildings or technologies;
- Measure 3 – "Investments in physical assets concerning processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products" seeks too ensure projects in food processing companies meet EU safety and environmental standards;
- Measure 4 – "Agri-environment-climate and organic farming";
- Measure 5 – "Implementation of local development strategies – LEADER approach" finances local action groups implementing their bottom up local development strategies;
- Measure 7 – "Farm diversification and business development" is for rural businesses and farming families seeking to develop non-agricultural activities;
- Measure 9 – "Technical assistance" supports training, analyses, programme monitoring, capacity building and preparation of local action groups.
Each country presents their programmes to the European Commission for approval. Once approved, they are managed by national institutions and IPARD agencies. These ensure the execution of the programmes and that funds are transferred to applicants. This contributes to building national institutions and governance in rural development.
Related information
Related links
IPARD III overview (2021-27)
Objectives and funding for the EU pre-accession assistance for rural development IPARD III 2021-27 programmes
