PHARE

The Phare programme (franc. Pologne et Hongrie - Aide a Restructuration) has been established in 1989 by the Council Regulation 3906/89 (EEC), as the EU's pre-accession instrument intended to assist candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their preparations for joining the EU. Today, Phare programme applies to the acceding and candidate countries, and principally involves Institution Building (mainly through twinning projects and service) measures and promotes Economic and Social Cohesion (mainly through supply component).

Phare provides funds for institution building support through twinning and technical assistance and for investment support to help applicant countries in their efforts:

• to strengthen their public administrations and institutions to function effectively inside the EU,
• to promote convergence with the European Community's extensive legislation and reduce the need for transition periods,
• to promote economic and social cohesion.

According to each country's level of preparation, PHARE programmes are implemented under centralised or decentralized management structure. Under the Decentralized Implementation System (DIS), the national implementing authorities are still subject to ex-ante control by the local EC Delegation. In a further step, under the Extended Decentralized Implementation System (EDIS), the national implementing authorities are no longer subject to ex-ante control by the local EC Delegation.

For Republic Croatia Phare programme has been available from budgetary year 2005. Since than 167 million euros has been allocated within Phare 2005 and Phare 2006 programme.

The Republic of Croatia has been very successful in contracting Phare 2005 programme, whereas 88.34% has been contracted, that is 55.548.297, 63 euros. Implementation of the Phare projects is foreseen for 30 November 2010.

The Phare programme entails national, multi-beneficiary and cross-border projects.

It comes under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Enlargement, which is also responsible for overall co-ordination of pre-accession assistance (including ISPA and SAPARD programmes).