PURPOSE: to amend Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) with a view to transferring Serbia from the list of potential candidate countries (Annex II) to the list of candidate countries (Annex I).
PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
BACKGROUND: the European Council of 1-2 March 2012 endorsed the Council's conclusions of 28 February 2012 on enlargement and the Stabilisation and Association Process and agreed to grant Serbia the status of candidate country. The Commission therefore proposes to the Council and the Parliament to amend Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).
IMPACT ASSESSMENT: not applicable.
LEGAL BASIS: Article 212 (2) of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
CONTENT: with this proposal, it is provided to transfer Serbia from the list of potential candidate countries (Annex II) to the list of candidate countries (Annex I), following the decision of the European Council on 1–2 March 2012.
It should be noted that Kosovo shall be maintained in Annex II of the Regulation (potential candidates).
BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: this measure does not involve any additional expenditure.