The Commission shall ensure that the following principles apply in relation to assistance under the IPA Regulation:
Assistance granted shall respect the principles of coherence, complementarity, coordination, partnership and concentration.
Assistance shall be coherent with EU policies and shall support alignment to the acquis communautaire.
Assistance shall comply with the budgetary principles laid down in the Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002.
Assistance shall be consistent with the needs identified in the enlargement process and absorption capacities of the beneficiary country. It shall also take account of lessons learned.
The ownership of the programming and implementation of assistance by the beneficiary country shall be strongly encouraged and adequate visibility of EU intervention shall be ensured.
Operations shall be properly prepared, with clear and verifiable objectives, which are to be achieved within a given period.
Any discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation shall be prevented during the various stages of the implementation of assistance.
The objectives of pre-accession assistance shall be pursued in the framework of sustainable development and the Community promotion of the goal of protecting and improving the environment.