On March 26, 2019 the National Contact Points Working Meeting on Twinning was held in Brussel (the Kingdom of Belgium).
The event was organized by the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations in order to discuss the state of implementation of the institutional building instrument Twinning, to consider ways to improve its use in the context of the implementation of public administration reform (PAR), as well as to exchange the experience between the European Union Member States, the candidate countries for accession to the European Union (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance), the countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and other interested parties.
The Head of the Unit of the Institution Building TAIEX and Twinning of the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Diana JABLONSKA addressed to the participants of the event with the opening speech, congratulated those present, underlined the importance of using the institutional building instruments Twinning and TAIEX and accented on the necessity to strengthen the mutually profitable business relationship between European Union Member States and beneficiary countries of the Twinning projects in order to increase the efficiency of implementation and management of Twinning projects.
During the event the participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with the main strengths, weaknesses and challenges arising during the implementation of the Twinning instrument, as well as to consider key innovations and achievements of implementation of the Twinning instrument during 2010 - 1017, which were presented by the representative of the international development consulting company “GDSI Limited” (Republic of Ireland), the Team Leader for Evaluation of Twinning 2010-2017 Paul GEORIS.
Representatives of the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Georgia and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria presented the experience of implementing Twinning projects, which were started in 2017 in the context of the implementation of the new Тwinning Manual. Also the Team Leader Twinning Institution Building TAIEX and Twinning of the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Francesca AQUARO get acquainted the participants of the event with the key changes of the Тwinning Manual, which were introduced in 2018.
In addition, during the event the participants discussed the main achievements of the institutional building instrument TAIEX, principles of its implementation and the prospects of their effective using.
On behalf of the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union the Senior Consultant of the Twinning Coordination Division of the Projects Management Unit Sofiia Zvarych took part in the event.
For reference: according to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ukraine “On Approval of the Procedure for Initiation, Preparation and Implementation of the Twinning Projects” as of 11 October, 2016 No 700 (in the wording of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ukraine as of August 22, 2018 No 663) the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service coordinates the implementation of the institution building instrument of the European Union Twinning in Ukraine. Furthermore, in accordance with relevant legal acts the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service is the coordinator of institution building instrument TAIEX implementation in Ukraine. In order to provide effective coordination of Twinning and TAIEX the Twinning Program Administration Office in Ukraine was established, its functions are performed by the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union.
