Article 3 Policy framework

The partnership and cooperation agreements, the association agreements and other existing or future agreements that establish a relationship with partner countries, corresponding Commission communications, European Council conclusions, and Council conclusions, as well as relevant summit declarations or conclusions of ministerial meetings with the partner countries of the ENP, including in the context of the Eastern Partnership and the Union for the Mediterranean, and also relevant European Parliament resolutions, shall, while respecting the principle of ownership, constitute the overall policy framework of this Regulation for programming and implementing Union support under this Regulation.

The key points of reference for setting the priorities for Union support under this Regulation and for the assessment of progress as outlined in Article 2(3) shall be: action plans or other equivalent jointly agreed documents such as the association agendas between the partner countries and the Union in bilateral and multilateral formats, including, as relevant, within the Eastern Partnership and the southern dimension of the ENP.

Where no agreements, as set out in paragraph 1, between the Union and partner countries exist, Union support under this Regulation may be provided when it proves useful in order to pursue Union policy objectives, and shall be programmed on the basis of such objectives, taking into account the needs of the country concerned.