The global objective of Operational Programme Technical Assistance is to ensure support for the coordination and to contribute to sound, effective, efficient and transparent implementation and absorption of the Structural Instruments in Romania. The Operational Programme Technical Assistance (OPTA) is aiming at ensuring that the implementation of the Structural Instruments in Romania meets the principles and rules on partnership, programming, evaluation, communication, management, including financial management, monitoring and control on the basis of responsibilities shared between the Member States and the Commission, in compliance with the provisions laid down in the Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, hereinafter referred to as General Regulation. Since it addresses needs identified for the whole system of management and implementation of Structural Instruments, sometimes common for a range of actors, the programme is by its nature horizontal. 

The other Operational Programmes (OPs) can benefit from the OPTA for implementing operations useful for stakeholders of two or more OPs. At the same time, the OPTA gives enhanced support for the coordination process and the financial control and audit system.

Together with the other OPs, the OPTA will substantially contribute to the achievement of the thematic priority established in the National Strategic Reference Framework, namely “Building Effective Administrative Capacity”.

The OPTA strategy takes into account the commitments undertaken by the Romanian Government through the Complementary Position Paper on Chapter 21 “Regional policy and coordination of Structural Instruments” and the developments in the implementation of the Single Action Plan aiming at improving the management systems for the operation of the EU funds in Romania (pre-accession funds and Structural Instruments), adopted by the Government in 2005 with the subsequent amendments. The OPTA builds upon the pre-accession projects aiming at enhancing the administrative capacity for EU funds management.

The Operational Programme Technical Assistance has an open call for proposals with rolling submissions of projects within the period February 2008 - January 2015.