What is TAIEX? Activity Report Twinning, TAIEX and SIGMA within the ENPI EuropeAid European Commission Europe, Southern Mediterranean, Middle-East and Neighbourhood Policy Multi-Country Programmes http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/overview/twinning_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/overview/taiex_en.htm http://taiex.ec.europa.eu/ Foreword What is SIGMA? As Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, I am honoured to present the Institutional building instruments’ Activity Report 2009. The aim is to follow from an insider’s point of view how Institutional Twinning, TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchanges) and SIGMA (Support for Improvement in Governance and Management) are developing in the region. The three instruments were created in the framework of the Acceding countries and were successfully adapted to the Neighbourhood region in 2004, 2006 and 2008 respectively. The cumulated experience with the candidate countries (almost 2.000 Twinning projects, 10.000 TAIEX requests and about 700 SIGMA operations) became an invaluable asset when EuropeAid extended the three tools to the Neighbourhood. Ensuring the transfer of European know-how in a practical, hands-on, and peer-to- peer manner, these instruments are proving to be powerful tools for the reform and modernisation processes that our neighbours pursue and which the EU intends to support with even greater vigour in the years to come. This foreword is for me of particular significance considering that both regions are for the first time under the same Commissioner’s responsibility. The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a Privileged Partnership offering a unique opportunity to work together with our neighbours and support them in their strategic reforms and to modernise their administrations. To implement this policy, the EU has created the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). To set up the Twinning, TAIEX and SIGMA projects, the European Commission relies on the co-operation and administrative know-how of Member States. These projects bring together public sector expertise from EU Member States and Partner countries with the aim of enhancing joint activities and solving systemic problems. Twinning projects have been extensively developed in the ENP region. They yield concrete operational results for the beneficiary country under the terms of the Association Agreement and the ENPI Action Plans between that country and the EU. In the beginning of 2010, a clear proof of this success is the recent award of the 100th project in the region, in the context of an overall pipeline of more than 230 Twinning projects. This pipeline covers a wide range of areas such as finance and internal market, environment, justice and home affairs, energy, transport, trade and industry, agriculture, employment, social affairs, health & consumer protection, etc. The TAIEX instrument has been equally successful, reaching more than 1000 requests for assistance since it started, from the Neighbourhood countries and Russia, and this at an average rate of more than one per day. More than 5000 participants from the region participated in TAIEX events in 2009, and with the inclusion of Syria and Libya, the TAIEX network and activities are now taking place in all 17 countries covered by the ENPI. Lastly, in 2009, the actual launching of SIGMA activities in the ENPI countries has also attracted the interest from our neighbours in key reform areas such as: Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice, Financial Control and External Audit, Public Procurement and Policy making. About 30 country-specific operational projects have already been undertaken in each of the ENP sub-regions (East and South) and 8 additional operational projects, mainly focused on Programme Management and Policy Making, reassembled all countries in the region. I’m convinced that our institutional building set of tools is a powerful instrument to support our Partners’ efforts to approximate the EU legislation and modernise their administrations. It is therefore my intention to continue encouraging them with due regard to their own specific needs and ambitions. Štefan Füle European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy SIGMA, Support for Improvement in Governance and Management, is a joint initiative of the OECD and the EU. Principally funded by the EU through a centralized budget, SIGMA has assisted countries install governance and administrative systems since its foundation in 1992 on a flexible and demand-driven basis. The demand for SIGMA/ENPI activities is now framed within the ENP Action Plans, National Indicative Programmes and Common Space Road Maps with Russia. Initially designed to support Candidate Countries in the context of the EU enlargement, SIGMA is now equally integrated in the EU Neighbourhood Policy framework from 2008 SIGMA operations are managed by a National Contact Point (NCP) within the Programme Administration Office (PAO) which acts also as NCP for Twinning and TAIEX projects. SIGMA has the capability to mobilize quickly and a readiness to adapt to the specific needs of Beneficiary Countries. SIGMA main sectors: • administrative law; • public expenditure management; • internal/external audit; • procurement/concessions; • civil service; • policy capacities and co-ordination; • regulatory management and property rights SIGMA main tasks are: • To provide short to medium-term (from 1 day to 12 months) support to improve Governance and Management on the basis of requests from the Beneficiary Countries; • To assist national reform teams by providing expertise by peer practitioners including SIGMA staff (international civil servants) or public servants borrowed short-term from their respective MS administrations; • To assess reform progress and identify priorities on the basis of the EU acquis and assist decision-makers and administrations in institutional strengthening; • To facilitate assistance from the EU and other donors by helping to design projects and implement action plans; • To improve and upgrade public governance in order to facilitate closer economic integration and political co-operation between the EU and its neighbours. SIGMA Target groups The target group of SIGMA includes public governance institutions with central agencies responsible for horizontal management of systems of government. Σ-ENP 06.2008 /02.2010 Exploratory missions Legal framework, civil service and justice Financial control and external audit Public procurement Policy making Total Armenia ü 2 4 2 2 10 Azerbaijan ü 1 1 2 Egypt ü 4 1 6 11 Georgia ü 4 3 2 9 Jordan ü 4 4 Lebanon ü 0 Moldavia ü 2 3 5 Morocco ü 4 2 1 7 Tunisia ü 3 2 1 1 7 Ukraine ü 2 2 4 Total 22 18 6 13 59 SIGMA Actions TAIEX, the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange, was set up in 1996 by the European Commission to support the faster implementation of the EU acquis in the Candidate countries by compulsory transposition. In 2006, there was a gradual extension in the use of the instrument to the Neighbouring countries & Russia (Decision 2006/62/EC) to promote the voluntary approximation of the EU acquis on the basis of commonly shared norms. This extension is supported in close cooperation with the EU Commission by a TAIEX National Contact Point (NCP) within the Programme Administration Office (PAO – wherever it exists) which acts also as NCP for Twinning. TAIEX assists Neighbouring countries with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation. It is mainly demand-driven and contributes to the delivery of appropriate tailor-made expertise to address problems at short notice. TAIEX provides “peer-to-peer” assistance by public experts from EU Member States (MS) to partners and stakeholders of the Partner Countries. TAIEX: 4 Types of Assistance Expert Missions in Beneficiary Countries 5 days at most, to provide guidance on legislative projects and on the functioning of the administrative process, to advise on legislative acts and on their implementation, to explain the EU acquis and to present examples of good practices. Workshops or Seminars in Partner Countries 2 days at most, to present and explain the EU acquis-related issues to a large audience (selected by the concerned partner country) from the same country or from several countries, regarding issues of common interest. Study visits in Member States 5 days at most, to allow maximum 3 officials from a partner country to understand how MS deal with practical issues related to the implementation and enforcement of the EU acquis. TAIEX assessment missions Several EU MS’ experts provide feedback to stakeholders on the degree of their achievement with regard to approximation to the EU acquis, by means of analytical peer reports and recommendations. TAIEX Beneficiaries The beneficiaries of TAIEX assistance include institutions and organizations which have a role to play in the partner countries in the transposition, implementation and enforcement of EU legislation. The main target groups are: • Public administration; • Public agencies; • Private sector associations with a mission of public service; • Social partners. TAIEX Objectives • To strengthen the public administration; • To approximate the EU acquis; • To achieve the priorities of the Neighbouring countries & Russia, as stated in the Action Plans and National Indicative Programmes or Roadmaps; • To reinforce networks between Neighbouring countries & Russia and EU MS; • To pave the way for future Twinning projects. Sectors covered by TAIEX activities Around 14500 participants from ENP countries & Russia Around 1200 applications sent by ENP countries & Russia
Transcript
What is TAIEX?
Activity ReportTwinning, TAIEX and SIGMA within the ENPI
EuropeAid
European Commission
Europe, Southern Mediterranean, Middle-East and Neighbourhood Policy
As Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, I am honoured to present the Institutional building instruments’ Activity Report 2009. The aim is to follow from an insider’s point of view how Institutional Twinning, TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchanges) and SIGMA (Support for Improvement in Governance and Management) are developing in the region.
The three instruments were created in the framework of the Acceding countries and were successfully adapted to the Neighbourhood region in 2004, 2006 and 2008 respectively. The cumulated experience with the candidate countries (almost 2.000 Twinning projects, 10.000 TAIEX requests and about 700 SIGMA operations) became an invaluable asset when EuropeAid extended the three tools to the Neighbourhood. Ensuring the transfer of European know-how in a practical, hands-on, and peer-to-peer manner, these instruments are proving to be powerful tools for the reform and modernisation processes that our neighbours pursue and which the EU intends to support with even greater vigour in the years to come. This foreword is for me of particular significance considering that both regions are for the first time under the same Commissioner’s responsibility.
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a Privileged Partnership offering a unique opportunity to work together with our neighbours and support them in their strategic reforms and to modernise their administrations.
To implement this policy, the EU has created the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). To set up the Twinning, TAIEX and SIGMA projects, the European Commission relies on the co-operation and administrative know-how of Member States. These projects bring together public sector expertise from EU Member States and Partner countries with the aim of enhancing joint activities and solving systemic problems.
Twinning projects have been extensively developed in the ENP region. They yield concrete operational results for the beneficiary country under the terms of the Association Agreement and the ENPI Action Plans between that country and the EU. In the beginning of 2010, a clear proof of this success is the recent award of the 100th project in the region, in the context of an overall pipeline of more than 230 Twinning projects. This pipeline covers a wide range of areas such as finance and internal market, environment, justice and home affairs, energy, transport, trade and industry, agriculture, employment, social affairs, health & consumer protection, etc.
The TAIEX instrument has been equally successful, reaching more than 1000 requests for assistance since it started, from the Neighbourhood countries and Russia, and this at an average rate of more than one per day. More than 5000 participants from the region participated in TAIEX events in 2009, and with the inclusion of Syria and Libya, the TAIEX network and activities are now taking place in all 17 countries covered by the ENPI.
Lastly, in 2009, the actual launching of SIGMA activities in the ENPI countries has also attracted the interest from our neighbours in key reform areas such as: Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice, Financial Control and External Audit, Public Procurement and Policy making. About 30 country-specific operational projects have already been undertaken in each of the ENP sub-regions (East and South) and 8 additional operational projects, mainly focused on Programme Management and Policy Making, reassembled all countries in the region.
I’m convinced that our institutional building set of tools is a powerful instrument to support our Partners’ efforts to approximate the EU legislation and modernise their administrations. It is therefore my intention to continue encouraging them with due regard to their own specific needs and ambitions.
Štefan Füle
European Commissioner for Enlargement and
Neighbourhood Policy
SIGMA, Support for Improvement in Governance and Management, is a joint initiative of the OECD and the EU. Principally funded by the EU through a centralized budget, SIGMA has assisted countries install governance and administrative systems since its foundation in 1992 on a flexible and demand-driven basis.
The demand for SIGMA/ENPI activities is now framed within the ENP Action Plans, National Indicative Programmes and Common Space Road Maps with Russia. Initially designed to support Candidate Countries in the context of the EU enlargement, SIGMA is now equally integrated in the EU Neighbourhood Policy framework from 2008 SIGMA operations are managed by a National Contact Point (NCP) within the Programme Administration Office (PAO) which acts also as NCP for Twinning and TAIEX projects.
SIGMA has the capability to mobilize quickly and a readiness to adapt to the specific needs of Beneficiary Countries.
SIGMA main sectors:
• administrative law;
• public expenditure management;
• internal/external audit;
• procurement/concessions;
• civil service;
• policy capacities and co-ordination;
• regulatory management and property rights
SIGMA main tasks are:
• To provide short to medium-term (from 1 day to 12 months) support to improve Governance and Management on the basis of requests from the Beneficiary Countries;
• To assist national reform teams by providing expertise by peer practitioners including SIGMA staff (international civil servants) or public servants borrowed short-term from their respective MS administrations;
• To assess reform progress and identify priorities on the basis of the EU acquis and assist decision-makers and administrations in institutional strengthening;
• To facilitate assistance from the EU and other donors by helping to design projects and implement action plans;
• To improve and upgrade public governance in order to facilitate closer economic integration and political co-operation between the EU and its neighbours.
SIGMA Target groups
The target group of SIGMA includes public governance institutions with central agencies responsible for horizontal management of systems of government.
Σ-ENP 06.2008 /02.2010
Exploratory missions
Legal framework, civil service and justice
Financial control and
external audit
Public procurement
Policy making
Total
Armenia ü 2 4 2 2 10
Azerbaijan ü 1 1 2
Egypt ü 4 1 6 11
Georgia ü 4 3 2 9
Jordan ü 4 4
Lebanon ü 0
Moldavia ü 2 3 5
Morocco ü 4 2 1 7
Tunisia ü 3 2 1 1 7
Ukraine ü 2 2 4
Total 22 18 6 13 59
SIGMA Actions
TAIEX, the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange, was set up in 1996 by the European Commission to support the faster implementation of the EU acquis in the Candidate countries by compulsory transposition.
In 2006, there was a gradual extension in the use of the instrument to the Neighbouring countries & Russia (Decision 2006/62/EC) to promote the voluntary approximation of the EU acquis on the basis of commonly shared norms.
This extension is supported in close cooperation with the EU Commission by a TAIEX National Contact Point (NCP) within the Programme Administration Office (PAO – wherever it exists) which acts also as NCP for Twinning.
TAIEX assists Neighbouring countries with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation. It is mainly demand-driven and contributes to the delivery of appropriate tailor-made expertise to address problems at short notice. TAIEX provides “peer-to-peer” assistance by public experts from EU Member States (MS) to partners and stakeholders of the Partner Countries.
TAIEX: 4 Types of AssistanceExpert Missions in Beneficiary Countries
5 days at most, to provide guidance on legislative projects and on the functioning of the administrative process, to advise on legislative acts and on their implementation, to explain the EU acquis and to present examples of good practices.
Workshops or Seminars in Partner Countries
2 days at most, to present and explain the EU acquis-related issues to a large audience (selected by the concerned partner country) from the same country or from several countries, regarding issues of common interest.
Study visits in Member States
5 days at most, to allow maximum 3 officials from a partner country to understand how MS deal with practical issues related to the implementation and enforcement of the EU acquis.
TAIEX assessment missions
Several EU MS’ experts provide feedback to stakeholders on the degree of their achievement with regard to approximation to the EU acquis, by means of analytical peer reports and recommendations.
TAIEX BeneficiariesThe beneficiaries of TAIEX assistance include institutions and organizations which have a role to play in the partner countries in the transposition, implementation and enforcement of EU legislation. The main target groups are:
• Public administration;
• Public agencies;
• Private sector associations with a mission of public service;
• Social partners.
TAIEX Objectives• To strengthen the public administration;
• To approximate the EU acquis;
• To achieve the priorities of the Neighbouring countries & Russia, as stated in the Action Plans and National Indicative Programmes or Roadmaps;
• To reinforce networks between Neighbouring countries & Russia and EU MS;
• To pave the way for future Twinning projects.
Sectors covered by TAIEX activities
Around 14500 participants from ENP countries & Russia
Around 1200 applications sent by ENP countries & Russia
EuropeAid
Twinning 4 success storiesWhat is Twinning?Ukraine, Egypt, Morocco, Azerbaijan
Ukraine - Justice
Support to The Academy of Judges
Context:The overall objective of the project is aimed to support the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the AoJ through the development of initial training curricula for judges - practical and theoretical- based on the Council of Europe’s relevant recommendations, working out relevant testing and development of consolidated ongoing training programmes for judges, with a focus on EU law.
The budget of the Twinning is 1,100 000 euro and its duration 24 months. The project started in July 2009.
Components:• Initial Training is dedicated to the set-up of an initial training
program for candidate judges in Ukraine (theoretical and practical part).
• Testing is dedicated to the development of testing and selection criteria for the examination of candidates for judges to ensure a unified, transparent and anonymous examination.
• Ongoing Training tackles the ongoing training of judges with a focus on EU law and the development of e-learning/distance learning for ongoing training of judges.
What has been achieved?• Assessment reports, comparative studies on EU ‘best
practises’ including a comparison with the Ukrainian system and Needs & Gaps Analysis on initial training, testing and ongoing training were elaborated.
• Study visit performed in order to demonstrate the organisational and institutional structures for ongoing training of judges and to exchange information on EU ‘best practices’ in order to gain new perspective for the reform of judicial training in Ukraine.
• Curricula for ongoing training for judges on EU law related to legal topics of special relevance in the present Ukrainian legal system elaborated.
• A concept paper on the development of e-learning/distance learning for ongoing training of judges presented.
Egypt - Social Affairs
Organizational Modernization of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Management System
Context:The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of the Occupational Health and Safety policies, procedures and services, hence improving the system on OHS Management aimed at reducing the number of work-related accidents and incidents in Egypt. In particular, the project will improve and promote labour safety through enhancing a culture of prevention, health and welfare of employees, as well as to safeguard the public from being exposed to work activities entailed risks
The budget of the Twinning project is 1,000 000 euro and the duration is 21 months. The project’s implementation started in November 2008 and the awarded Member State is Italy.
Components:• Assessment of legal compliance, legislation approximation, and
better secondary law enforcement.
• Institutional capacity building at central and local levels.
• Development of a comprehensive national strategy and action plan including investment plan for equipment.
What has been achieved?• Comparative analysis of EU, Italian, and Egyptian primary and
secondary legislation in the field of occupational health and safety highlighting similarities and possible approximations of the Egyptian law has been performed.
• Legal regulatory assessment report and analysis of the reasons behind the difficulties in applying and implementing the existing Egyptian laws have been issued.
• Adjustment and implementation of Egyptian OHS legislation and policy have been proposed.
• System management and institutional development at central level have been proposed.
• Organizational audit has been done at central level.
• Information data and Knowledge Management taking into consideration the Italian experience have been developed.
• The advisory role of the Labour Inspectorate has been developed.
• An organizational development Plan has been drafted and Strategy on OHS has been proposed.
• The external communication functions of the OHS have been developed.
Azerbaijan - Consumer Protection
Support to the Improvement of Legal and Technical Aspects of Food Quality and Safety Assurance and Certification Requirements of Azerbaijani Fishery Products
Context:The objective of this Twinning project is to support the State Office for the Control of Consumer Market (SOCCM) in the design and implementation of an official control system complying with the requirements laid down in EU legislation applicable to fishery products and aquaculture products, with the aim of increasing exports to the EU and other international markets.
In 2009, the Project Partner SOCCM was merged with the Anti Monopoly Committee (both under the Ministry of Economic Development) into the State Service for Anti Monopoly and Consumer Protection (SSAMCP).
The budget of the Twinning project is 1,000 000 euro and its duration is 24 months. The project started in September 2008 and is being implemented by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority and Food and Veterinary Service of the Republic of Latvia.
Components:• Awareness raising and institutional building.
• Harmonization of Azerbaijan food legislation with that of the EU.
• Strengthening Laboratory Services.
• Strengthening Inspection Services.
What has been achieved?• Contribution to prepare the progress report and the requested
guaranties to the Health and Consumers Directorate-General of the EC concerning exports of Azerbaijan fishery products to the EU.
• Azerbaijan listed for the exports of fishery and other food products.
• SSAMCP stated as the competent authority regarding the fish inspection and control and to develop a strategic plan of further development and implementation of the food safety controls.
• Appropriate laboratory and inspection services were organized laboratory specialists were recruited; training of personnel was performed
• Inspectors acquainted with the processes, procedures, methods and tools to be used, and also trained in the understanding and application of requirements laid down in the revised legislation harmonized with the EU requirements for fishery products.
• Inspection registration system was developed to support the processes of registration, approval and surveillance of fisheries establishments.
Morocco - Finance
Fight against money laundering
Context:Law 43-05 on the fight against money laundering has been promulgated and published on the 3rd of May 2007 and provides for the creation of a Unit of Financial Intelligence Processing (UFIR) by a statutory instrument attached to the Prime Minister.
This Twinning project aims to prepare the conditions for reconciliation between the laws of Morocco and the EU in the fight against money laundering and strengthen the Moroccan institutional capacity through the establishment of the UFIR as a unit that is operational and meets the international standards.
The beneficiary of this project is the Ministry of Finance and Privatization. The project duration is 30 months for a budget of 1,400 000 euros. The primary member state is Spain, with France as a junior partner.
Components:• Increasing public support for the program and national
coordination.
• Preparation of texts and decrees for the LAB/FT law.
• Implementation of the UFIR.
• Strenthening investigating structures: magistrates and police.
• Support to the implementation of the preventive system: banks, insurances and others.
• Training for non-financial professionals.
What has been achieved?• Realisation of introduction seminars to Twinning and anti-
money laundering culture among various Moroccan public institutions.
• Realisation of a law texts compendium and a diagnostic report about the legislative system.
• Implementation of the UFIR (director and staff recruited and operational).
• Preventive system bodies (banks, insurances and others) trained.
• Non-financial professionals (notaries, lawyers and accountants) trained.
• Training plan for supervisors of inspectors (at central level), managers and inspectors (at local level) and potential trainers has been designed. Training workshops and courses are under process.
• Analysis of the present working method of the Labour Inspectorate at local level has been finalized.
The Twinning’s Opening Ceremony at the Academy of Judges of Ukraine 2009
Visit to the El-Nasr Petroleum Company – Suez 2009
Study visit in Spain - Madrid security services 2009
The Food laboratory in the State Service of Anti-Monopoly Policy and protection of consumer rights 2009
• It is a cooperation tool, regulated by the provisions of the “Common Twinning Manual”, between a Public Administration in a Partner country and the equivalent institution in an EU Member State (MS);
• It aims at upgrading/modernising the institution in a Partner country through training, reorganisation as well as drafting of laws and regulations modelled on the EU acquis;
• It consists of sending to the Beneficiary Country at least one Resident Twinning Adviser (at least for twelve consecutive months) to arrange a number of medium and short-term missions, all to be carried out by public officials of the EU MS institutions;
• One of its key features is the concept of mandatory results : both the Beneficiary and the EU partners commit themselves to work towards a commonly agreed result, which should be measurable and precise;
• Twinning projects are financed by the European Commission. The Beneficiary partner contributes to the project with human resources, office space, training/conference venues and interpretation.
Twinning Principles:• A Twinning project should be related to the domains of co-
operation foreseen by the Partnership and Co-operation/ Association Agreement EU-Partner country and the ENP Action Plan and National Indicative Programme (NIP);
• It should be coherent in all its components;
• It is a joint project, shared by the two partner administrations, committed at either side. The Partner country retains ownership of the project;
• It includes at least some elements of approximation to the EU acquis;
• It entails elements of structural reform and must solve a systemic problem. At the end of the project, the new or adapted system must be self-sufficient : it must function under the sole responsibility and means of the Partner country;
• The Partner country administration requesting a Twinning must be “twinnable” as a result of its status, functions, and reform ambitions.
Twinning projects ENP2004-20101
Per sector
Twinning projects ENP 2004-2010Per Partner Country
Number of Twinning proposals 2004-2010Per Member States
1For all Twinning statistics, the data was available since 2004 until April 2010
