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Welcome to the Reference Guide on EU Country & Regional Programming!

The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of how the EU organises its programming for external assistance.

The following questions are being considered in this guide:

• What is the EU project cycle?
• How does the EU identify projects?
• What is a country strategy paper (CSP)?
• What is a national indicative programme (NIP)?
• Who are the actors involved in this process?
• What is the “deconcentration” or “devolution” reform of EU external assistance?
• What are the EC funding priorities for a particular country or region?
• What is the “new generation" of country strategy papers?
• What is the drafting process for the new CSPs covered by DG Relex?
• What is the drafting process for the new CSPs covered by DG DEV?

The guide includes a library of key documents on EU programming and the EU Project Cycle. It also includes all country and regional strategy papers and national and regional indicative programmes.