Assistance for a given beneficiary country shall be based on the priorities identified in the following documents, where they exist:

• the European partnership,

• the accession partnership,

• the national programme for the adoption of the acquis,

• the reports and strategy paper contained in the annual enlargement package of the Commission,

• the stabilisation and association agreement,

• the negotiation framework.

Account shall also be taken of the priorities set out in the national strategies where they are compatible with the pre-accession objectives and scope as laid down in the IPA Regulation.