The European Commission announced the approval of the last pre-accession and transition assistance programme for Croatia, which will focus on strengthening administrative capacity for an efficient justice system and the protection of fundamental rights.

The €46,8 million pre-accession and transition assistance programme for Croatia programme, which will be the last one of this kind, was announced by the European Commission. The funding will focus on strengthening administrative capacity for an efficient justice system and the protection of fundamental rights. It will also support Croatia's on-going efforts to build a modern, transparent, and citizen-oriented public service. According to a European Court of Auditors’ (ECA) special report published in February 2012, the pre-accession assistance managed by the European Commission has made an important contribution to building up Croatia’s capacity for managing post-accession funding.

The last pre-accession programme will also help upgrade the border infrastructure in Tovarnik and Maljevac, rehabilitate the Turopolje Correctional Institute, provide support for Croatian Civil Society Organisations, and finance de-mining activities in Lika-Senj, Sisak-Moslavina, and Zadar County.

The EU has made available a total of €998 million in financial support to Croatia under pre-accession assistance (IPA). Since 2007, countries wishing to join the EU have received focused EU funding and support through a single channel – the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). The total pre-accession funding for the period 2007-2013 is €11.5 billion.