EU approves Turkey's 1.9 bln euro pre-accession assistance package for 2014

“By this way, the projects/programmes attached to part of 1,96 million euro out of the 4.45 billion euro agreed for Turkey Under IPA II (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance 2014-2020) has been determined,” Turkey’s EU ministry said in a statement on its website.

The submitted programme was approved by the IPA Committee that is composed of representatives of the member-states and will be executed after signing financing agreements.

The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) is the means by which the EU supports reforms in the "enlargement countries" with financial and technical help. The IPA funds build up the capacities of the countries throughout the accession process, resulting in progressive, positive developments in the region.

Turkey applied for membership of what was then the European Economic Community in 1987. EU accession negotiations with Turkey began in 2005. So far, 14 out of 33 negotiation chapters have been opened, and one of the open chapters has been provisionally closed. As a result of Turkey not having fully implemented the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement, the EU decided in December 2006 that eight negotiating chapters could not be opened and that no chapter could be provisionally closed until Turkey meets its obligations.

($ = 0.821 euro)