Article 13 Policy dialogue

In order to facilitate the preparation of the national programmes, each Member State and the Commission shall hold a dialogue at the level of senior officials, taking into account the relevant indicative timeframes laid down in Article 14. The dialogue shall focus on the overall results to be achieved by means of the national programmes in order to address the needs and priorities of the Member States in the areas of intervention covered by the Specific Regulations, taking account of the baseline situation in the Member State concerned and the objectives of the Specific Regulations. The dialogue shall also serve as an opportunity for an exchange of views on Union actions. The outcome of the dialogue shall serve as a guide for the preparation and approval of the national programmes and shall include an indication of the expected date of submission of the Member State’s national programmes to the Commission, which shall allow the timely adoption of the programme. That outcome shall be recorded in agreed minutes.

In the case of actions to be implemented in and in relation to third countries, such actions shall not be directly development-oriented and the policy dialogue shall seek full coherence with the principles and general objectives of the Union’s external action and foreign policy as regards the country or region concerned.

After the conclusion of the policy dialogues, the Commission shall inform the European Parliament of the overall outcome.

If deemed appropriate by a Member State and by the Commission, the policy dialogue may be repeated after the mid-term review referred to in Article 15, in order to reassess the needs of that Member State and the priorities of the Union.