Document ID: 32021C0920(04)
Language: ENG

<table><col/><col/><col/><col/><tbody><tr><td><p>20.9.2021&#160;&#160;&#160;</p></td><td><p>EN</p></td><td><p>Official Journal of the European Union</p></td><td><p>CI 380/4</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
Statement by the European Commission on a geopolitical dialogue with the European Parliament on the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III)
(2021/C 380 I/04)
The European Commission, mindful of the European Parliament’s functions of political control laid down in Article 14 of the Treaty on the European Union, commits to conduct a high-level geopolitical dialogue between the two institutions on the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III). This dialogue should allow exchanges with the European Parliament, whose positions on the implementation of the IPA III will be fully taken into consideration, in full respect of the Commission’s ability to implement the instrument, in line with its institutional responsibilities.
The geopolitical dialogue will discuss general orientations on the implementation of the IPA III, including on programming before the adoption of the IPA III programming framework and programming documents, and concerning specific subjects such as the suspension of assistance to a beneficiary when it persistently fails to observe the principles of democracy, the rule of law, good governance, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The geopolitical dialogue will be structured as follows:
<table><col/><col/><tbody><tr><td><p>i)</p></td><td><p>A high-level dialogue between the Commissioner in charge of Neighbourhood and Enlargement, on behalf of the Commission, and the European Parliament.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><col/><col/><tbody><tr><td><p>ii)</p></td><td><p>A permanent dialogue at senior officials&#8217; level with AFET working groups to ensure an adequate preparation and follow-up to the high-level dialogue.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
The high-level dialogue will take place at least twice a year. One of the meetings may coincide with the presentation by the Commission of the draft annual budget.