Article 32 Technical assistance

Each cross-border cooperation programme shall include a specific budget allocation for technical assistance operations, including preparation, management, monitoring, evaluation, information, communication, networking, complaint resolution, control and audit activities related to the implementation of the programme and activities to reinforce the administrative capacity for implementing the programme. IPA II assistance may also be used by the participating countries to support actions for the reduction of administrative burden for beneficiaries, including electronic data exchange systems, and actions to reinforce the capacity of, and exchange best practices between, authorities in the participating countries and of beneficiaries to administer and use the IPA II assistance. These actions may concern preceding and subsequent programming periods.

By way of derogation from Article 15(1), the expenditure for technical assistance to support the preparation of a cross-border cooperation programme and the setting-up of management and control systems may be eligible before the date of adoption of the Commission decision for the approval of the a cross-border cooperation programme, but not earlier than 1 January 2014.