Structures and authorities
Article 139
1. For each cross-border programme, each participating beneficiary country shall establish an operating structure for the part of the programme relating to the country concerned. 2. The duties of the operating structures shall include the preparation of the cross-border programmes in accordance with Article 91. 3. The operating structures of the participating beneficiary countries shall cooperate closely in the programming and implementation of the relevant cross-border programme. 4. For each cross-border programme among beneficiary countries, the relevant operating structures shall set up a joint technical secretariat to assist the operating structures and the joint monitoring committee referred to in Article 142 in carrying out their respective duties. The joint technical secretariat may have antennae established in each participating countries. 5. In the event of decentralised management, the functions and responsibilities of the operating structures shall be, mutatis mutandis, those listed in Article 28. In addition, the following provisions shall apply: (a) The operating structures in each participating beneficiary country shall include one implementing agency which shall be established within the national administration or under its direct control. (b) The national authorising officer in each participating beneficiary country shall, after consulting the national IPA coordinator, designate a programme authorising officer to head the implementing agency. The programme authorising officers shall be officials of the State administration of the beneficiary countries. He shall be responsible for the activities carried out by the implementing agency. (c) The implementing agencies shall be responsible for the tendering and contracting, payments accounting and financial reporting aspects of the procurement of services, supplies, works and grants for the part the cross-border programme concerning the respective country. Where relevant, the provisions laid down in Article 76 shall apply mutatis mutandis . 6. In the event of centralised management, functions and responsibilities of the operating structures shall be defined in the relevant cross-border programmes, to the exclusion of tendering, contracting and payments, which are the responsibility of the Commission.