On 22 April 2020, another online meeting of National Contact Points (NCPs) of beneficiary countries for the coordination of Twinning and TAIEX took place.
The meeting was organized by the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations in order to discuss the latest strands of development of the above-mentioned institutional building instruments, in particular simplification of the instruments usage and adaptation of the latter to the new conditions caused by COVID-19.
Diana Jablonska, Head of Unit of Institution Building, TAIEX & Twinning, DG NEAR started the meeting with introductory speech and congratualtions on the TAIEX instrument 25th anniversary.
The meeting was primarily devoted to discussion on the effectiveness of TAIEX and Twinning instruments in virtual mode, practices of information dissemination on institution building tools in beneficiary countries, impending changes in EU legislation governing Twinning, as well as gender equality amidst TAIEX experts.
COVID-19-related restrictions are expected to keep limiting Twinning and TAIEX implementation at full capacity until the end of 2021. However, yet during 2021, the EU is planning to arrange five TAIEX pilot projects in a hybrid format when some of the participants take part in the event virtually and others are physically present. It is expected that in the future both Twinning, and TAIEX instruments will work the best when combining the best aspects of both virtual and physical events.
On behalf of the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to EU Standards, the meeting was attended by Yuliia Yerchenko, Head of Unit of Twinning Programme Administration Office Activities Ensuring , Anastasiia Pidhorna, Head of the TAIEX Coordination Division and Tetiana Musiienko, Chief consultant at Twinning Coordination Sector.
