Designed to promote dialogue and exchange of experience on the above mentioned EU assistance instruments, the meeting provided for the opportunity to develop and facilitate networks and to share best practices between stakeholders.
The annual event started with a general discussion on current challenges of the enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy strategies. In session II devoted to Twinning matters, Tetiana Kovtun gave a presentation on the lessons learned from implementing the institution building instrument in Ukraine.
Ms Kovtun took a perspective approach by analyzing the main achievements and problematic issues of each Twinning phase starting from identification through implementation and monitoring projects for the years 2006 – 2009. The PAO director gave an overview of Ukraine’s three-year Twinning history, the project areas and highlighted the main achievements in this field.
As of 16 June 2009, two Twinning projects have been completed, eight are in the implementation phase, six in the contracting phase, eight are developing their Twinning Fiches, three are developing their Terms of Reference and 14 are in the identification phase.
She also noted that Twinning by now has caught the attention of high level politicians – a crucial ingredient in the country’s top-down public administration system. She added that regulations have been passed to introduce collective decision-making on Twinning and the notable improvement of identifying Twinning projects.
Some of the challenges Ms Kovtun observed were the criteria for approving Twinning concepts, the mismatch between some of Ukraine’s internal and European integration policies, and weak capacity of the Beneficiary Administrations.
Proactively, Ms. Kovtun recommended that more guidance be provided on which Twinning ideas should be supported for non-EU candidate countries, and that on the national level more ownership be taken through the conduct of high-level consultations.
In the same session, a former RTA to Turkey from Germany and his counterpart gave a testimony from the field in their attempt at improving the maritime safety in the ports and coastal areas of Turkey.
The second day of the conference was devoted to the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX). Described as "demand-driven assistance for tailored-made results", it provides short-term technical assistance in the field of approximation, application and enforcement of European Union legislation. The role of TAIEX is that of a catalyst, channeling requests for assistance as well as that of a facilitator between the concerned institutions and Member States for the delivery of appropriate tailor-made expertise to address well defined issues at short notice.
So far in 2009, 605 civil servants from 22 Ukrainian public administrations have participated in 26 TAIEX events, 7 of which were initiated by the European Commission.
The conference was organised by the Institution Building Unit of the Directorate General for Enlargement and the Multi-Country Programmes Unit of the Europe Aid Co-operation Office, both of which operate under the European Commission.
Presentation of Tetiana Kovtun:
