1.Assistance under this Regulation shall pursue the achievement of the following specific objectives according to the needs of each of the beneficiaries listed in Annex I, as well as their individual enlargement agenda:
(a)support for political reforms, inter alia through:
strengthening of democracy and its institutions, including an independent and efficient judiciary, and of the rule of law, including its implementation;
promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, enhanced respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, promotion of gender equality, non-discrimination and tolerance, as well as freedom of the media and respect for cultural diversity;
regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations;
promotion of reconciliation, peace-building and confidence-building measures;
the fight against corruption and organised crime;
strengthening of public administration and good governance at all levels;
capacity-building measures for improving law enforcement, border management and implementation of migration policy, including the management of migration flows;
development of civil society;
improvement of social dialogue and strengthening of the capacities of social partners;
(b)support for economic, social and territorial development, with a view to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, inter alia through:
the achievement of Union standards in the economy, including a functioning market economy, as well as fiscal and economic governance;
economic reforms necessary to cope with competitive pressure and market forces in the Union, while contributing to the achievement of social and environmental goals;
fostering of employment and labour mobility, promotion of quality job creation and development of human capital;
promotion of social and economic inclusion, in particular of minorities and vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, refugees and displaced persons;
fostering of an inclusive and integrated education system and preservation and restoration of cultural heritage;
development of physical capital, including improvement of infrastructure, and connections with Union and regional networks;
strengthening of research, technological development and innovation capacity;
(c)strengthening of the ability of the beneficiaries listed in Annex I at all levels to fulfil the obligations stemming from Union membership by supporting progressive alignment with, and adoption, implementation and enforcement of, the Union acquis, including preparation for management of Union Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development;
(d)strengthening regional integration and territorial cooperation involving the beneficiaries listed in Annex I, Member States and, where appropriate, third countries within the scope of Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1).
2.Progress towards achievement of the specific objectives set out in paragraph 1 shall be monitored and assessed on the basis of pre-defined, clear, transparent and, where appropriate, country-specific and measurable indicators that cover inter alia:
(a)progress in the areas of strengthening democracy, the rule of law and an independent and efficient justice system, respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities and vulnerable groups, fundamental freedoms, gender equality and women's rights, the fight against corruption and organised crime, reconciliation, good neighbourly relations and refugee return, and in particular, the establishment of track records in those areas;
(b)progress in socio-economic and fiscal reforms, addressing structural and macro-economic imbalances; the soundness and effectiveness of social and economic development strategies; progress towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and the creation of an inclusive and integrated education, quality training and employment, including through public investment supported by IPA II; progress towards creating a favourable business environment;
(c)progress in aligning the body of legislation with the Union acquis, including a track record of its implementation; progress in Union-related institutional reform, including transition to indirect management of the assistance provided under this Regulation;
(d)progress in building up and strengthening good governance and the administrative, institutional and absorption capacities at all levels, including adequate human resources, needed to adopt and enforce the acquis-related legislation;
(e)regional and territorial cooperation initiatives and the evolution of trade flows.
3.The indicators referred to in paragraph 2 shall be used in order to monitor, assess and review performance, as appropriate. The Commission's annual reports referred to in Article 4 shall be taken as a point of reference in the assessment of the results of IPA II assistance. The relevant performance indicators shall be defined and included in the strategy papers and programmes referred to in Articles 6 and 7 and shall be established in such a way as to enable progress to be assessed objectively over time and, where appropriate, across programmes.
Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument (see page 27 of this Official Journal).