authoritymeans a public entity or body of an IPA III beneficiary or a Member State at central, regional or local level;
beneficiarymeans a public or private body, responsible for initiating and implementing operations within a cross-border cooperation programme;
financial framework partnership agreementmeans an arrangement concluded between the Commission and an IPA III beneficiary laying down the principles of the financial cooperation between the IPA III beneficiary and the Commission under this Regulation;
financing agreementmeans an annual or multi-annual agreement concluded between the Commission and an IPA III beneficiary, for implementing the IPA III assistance;
lead IPA III beneficiarymeans the IPA III beneficiary, which has been appointed as leader and therefore hosts the contracting authority for the cross-border programme.
major projectmeans a project comprising of a series of works, activities or services which is intended, in itself, to accomplish a definite and indivisible task of a precise economic or technical nature, which has clearly identified goals and whose total cost exceeds that which is specified in the financial framework partnership agreement;
operationmeans a project, contract, action or group of projects selected by the contracting authority of the programme concerned, or under its responsibility, contributing to the objectives of the priority or priorities to which it relates;
sectoral agreementmeans an arrangement concluded between the Commission and an IPA III beneficiary for implementing a specific IPA III programme, setting out the rules and procedures to be respected, which are not contained in the financial framework partnership agreement or financing agreements;