The Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications (MoTMC) prepared the Transport Operational Programme with the objective of managing the funds provided to the transport infrastructure investments in the framework of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). The European Commission approved the Programme on 7th December 2007 and the MoTMC was designated as the Programme Authority.
Together with the Ministerial Approval dated 15th May 2007 related to the implementation of the TOP, an IPA Implementation Unit comprising of three sub-units was established within the MoTMC. The IPA Coordination and Implementation Unit was accredited with the decision of the European Commission dated 23rd July 2009 with the exception of tender, contract management and financial management functions. Thereafter, the MoTMC, which has been accredited with the tendering, contract management and financial management functions with the decision of the European Commission dated 12th November 2012, was designated as the Transport OP Contracting Authority.
The MoTMC IPA Coordination and Implementation Unit was restructured under the name of Department for European Union Investments with the Ministerial Approval, on 5th December 2011. Currently, the Department for EU Investments is composed of six sub-units, which are Programming, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Procurement Unit, Contract Management Unit, Financial Management Unit, Quality Assurance and Control Unit, Technical Assistance and Human Resources.
Türkiye and European Commission has signed IPA Framework Agreement for the financial assistance regarding the European Union’s budget period of 2007-2013, in the framework of the financial cooperation between Türkiye and European Union, and it has been published on the Official Gazette Numbered 2008/14450 dated 19.12.2008. According to Article 6 (f) of the IPA Framework Agreement, the establishment of program authorities for each component or program and the appointment of its officials has been committed by our country. Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MoTI) has been identified as responsible institution for the preparation and implementation of the Transport Operational Program with Prime Minister Circular No: 2011/15. MoTI has carried out it’s duties as Operating Structure throughout IPA I period. MoTI has been performing its duties as Operating Structure during European Union’s 2014-2020 financial assistance period (IPA II) as well.
As stated in the framework agreement dated 11 February 2015 on the arrangements for implementation of financial assistance to the Republic of Türkiye by the union within the framework of Instrument for Pre-Acession (IPA II) and updated with the Presidential Circular No. 2019/20, our department as a Multi-Annual Programming Authority performs the following tasks:
- Within the framework of the relevant national legislation and the acquis of the European Union; preparation and implementation of the Transport Sectoral Operational Programme; selection and evaluation of the projects and activities to be financed,
- Programming, procurement and contract management, carrying over the projects and activities, control of completed projects and activities, payment, accounting and associated control, monitoring and evaluation after impementation, as well as transmission of the necessary information, documents and reports to the relevant institutions and authorities, especially to the National IPA Coordinator (NIPAC) and National Authorising Officer(NAO), within the specified period of time,
- Establishment of the institutional structure and capacity required to perform programming, monitoring and evaluation, technical implementation, quality control, procurement, finance, contract, payment, accounting and reporting functions in accordance with the rules and standards of the European Union,
- Signature of operational agreements regulating duties, authorities and responsibilities related to matters delegated to the end recipient (ERA) institution/organization.
