Communication on the provisional application of the Internal Agreement on the financing of European Union aid under the multiannual financial framework for the period 2014 to 2020

The Internal Agreement establishing the eleventh European Development Fund (11th EDF) is due to be adopted by the Member States, meeting within the Council, in June 2013. This Internal Agreement will only enter into force after ratification by all the Member States, which may take up to 18 months or more.

To ensure a timely implementation of the 11th EDF as soon as the resources can be accessed, the appropriate decision-making procedures and modalities for the programming and the implementation of the 11th EDF must be in place. To this end, the Commission proposes to provide for a provisional application of the relevant provisions of the Internal Agreement establishing the 11th EDF. They concern in particular the accession of Croatia to the EU, the establishment of the 11th EDF Committee as well as the Investment Facility Committee, the adoption of an Implementation Regulation and of a Financial Regulation, and the pursuit of financial and operational management.

This is the approach that was followed for the transition from the 9th to the 10th EDF. The Commission therefore suggests that the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States adopt the attached decision.