PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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Figure 8.2
EU Transport Grants to CEEC pre-ISPA (Phare 1990-97 and LISF 1998-99)
Airports &
Ports
5%
Railways
34%
Other
7%
Roads &
Highways
54%
Total funds
disbursed:
978 MECU
Source: Own Compilation using data from the EU Phare Program
8.3 A Precursor to Cohesion Funding? Overview of ISPA Priorities
In its final agreed form, ISPA evenly divides a total of € 1.04 billion a year at
1999 prices between transport infrastructure and environment projects for the next six
years.
ISPA is strongly accession-oriented, and will closely follow the format of the
Cohesion Fund. However, since contrary to the Cohesion Fund, ISPA is dealing with
applicant, rather than member states, the distribution of funds is not decentralized (yet)
but requires ex-ante approval of tendering and contracting. 15
The country-by-country
allocation is based on three criteria: population, per capita GDP and land surface area.
Table 8.1 shows the per country allocation, given by the Commission as a range. Poland
alone is thus to receive roughly one third of all ISPA grants, Hungary less than one tenth.
All countries have to submit National ISPA Strategy Papers and present a coherent
investment plan. Only very small portions of ISPA money will be used for preparatory
studies and technical assistance. The leveraging of additional international co-financing
15 However, a recent DG Regio paper (CEC, DG Regio 2000) notes that “Coordination regulation 1266/99
of 21 June 1999 (art 12.2) opens the possibility for waiving the ex-ant approval requirement and for
conferring on implementation agencies management of aid on a decentralized basis. This will however
only be decided on the basis of a case by case analysis of the management capacity, financial control
procedures and structures regarding public finance.”