Croatia Gets 451.4 Mln Euro in EU Pre-Accession Aid for '08-'10

"For Croatia, the pre-accession assistance strategy concentrates on institution building, cross-border cooperation and preparation of the country for participation in the EU's cohesion and rural development policies," the EU executive said in a statement.

The overall indicative amount of EU financial assistance under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) for 2008-2010 totalled 4.471 billion euro.

IPA, which replaces previous assistance instruments to the Western Balkan countries as of January 1, 2007, aims to enhance political and economic reform in candidate countries Croatia, Turkey, Macedonia and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo.

For the period from 2008 to 2010 Turkey will receive 1,758.8 million euro, Macedonia 244.3 million euro, Albania 245.1million euro, Bosnia and Herzegovina 269.9 million euro, Montenegro 99.9 million euro, Serbia 584.4 million euro, Kosovo 359.1 million euro and 458.4 million euro will go for multi-beneficiary programme.

In November the European Commission said it had approved a total of 6.57 billion euro in pre-accession financial aid for EU-aspiring Western Balkan states and Turkey for the period 2007-2011.

Croatia, which started accession talks in October 2005 and hopes to join the union around 2012, will receive 749.8 million euro under IPA between 2007 and 2011.

($=0.6968 euro)