Implementation of the TAIEX Instrument in the Neighbouring Countries Twinning Launching Workshop Implementation of the TAIEX Instrument in the Neighbouring Countries Olivier Vanhoenacker, Multi-Country Programmes Tbilisi, 29th & 30th November 2007

Extension Of TAIEX To The NC Set up in 1996 by the European Commission to support the faster implementation of the EU acquis in the Candidate Countries – compulsory transposition 2006: Gradual extension to the Neighbourhood Countries (NC – Directive 2006/62/EC, 23.01.2006) to foster the EU acquis approximation – voluntary shared norms Extension supported by a TAIEX National Contact Point (NCP) within the Programme Administration Office (PAO – wherever it exists) also NCP for Twinning

PAOs Are Set Up In 11 NC: NCPs For Twinning & NCPs For TAIEX PAOs: experience of the implementation of the Twinning Projects in ENP Countries in close collaboration with the EC Delegations and the Unit AIDCO/A6 (Twinning & TAIEX) already financed by the EC PAOs become NCPs for the TAIEX instrument In the countries with no PAO, TAIEX NCP is designated by the National Coordinator

TAIEX NCPs within the PAOs – East Armenia Mr Hrayr Gyonjyan hrayr.gyonjyan@mfe.am Azerbaijan Mr Asgar Alakbarov aalakbarov@ncu.gov.az Georgia Mr Roman Kakulia rk.ncu@caucasus.net Moldova Mrs Tatiana Udrea ut@moldova.md Russia Mrs Elena Kolerova kolerova@economy.gov.ru Ukraine Mr Andriy Vyshnevsky andriy.vyshnevsky@center.gov.ua

TAIEX NCPs within the PAOs – South Egypt Mrs Injie Kotb injie.kotb@ee-aa.net Israel Mr Raphael Morav raphael.morav@mfa.gov.il Jordan Mr Marwan Al-Refai marwan.r@mop.gov.jo Lebanon Mrs Maha Siblini pao@pcm.gov.lb Morocco Mr Mohamed Doubi-Kadmiri ugpaaa@menara.ma Tunisia Mrs Nawele Ben Romdhane Dhrif directeur@ugp3a.gov.tn

What Is TAIEX? Technical Assistance Information Exchange On the basis of requests from the Beneficiary Countries (BC) TAIEX provides short-term assistance Duration of TAIEX missions: usually 1 to 5 days maximum reactive assistance Simple procedures allow to have the requested services in place in 5 to 6 weeks minimum

TAIEX Synergies TAIEX is an instrument for Institution Building, additional and complementary to Technical Assistance (short, medium or long-term private assistance) to Twinning Projects (long-term public expertise assistance) TAIEX: short-term public assistance is used to deal with accurate, focused and targeted requests

TAIEX Beneficiaries Public Administration Public Agencies Private sector Associations Social Partners

TAIEX Specificities TAIEX missions are financed through a centralised budget – TAIEX missions are NOT financed by a bilateral budget TAIEX missions are implemented by an EC-recruited provider: GTZ – TAIEX missions are NOT implemented by BC or by ECD

Types Of The NC-TAIEX Assistance Expert missions in BC 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, to present examples of good practices... Workshops – Seminars in BC To present and explain EU acquis-related issues to a large audience (selected by the BC) within the same country or to several countries concerning the same issues Study visits in MS To allow Officials from a BC to understand how Member States deal with practical issues related to the implementation and enforcement of the EU acquis

Examples Of TAIEX Events from Georgia requested by on dates location audience (Spanish) Expert Mission Ministry of Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Combating Land Degradation & Desertification 22-24.10.2007 Tbilisi MEPNR of Georgia, NGOs (Regional) Workshop National Security Council of Georgia Drug Trafficking & Terrorism 29-30.03.2007 attendees from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Turkey Study Visit Parliament of Georgia EU Legislation on Migration Policy January 2008 (request currently under assessment) Member State to be confirmed Committee of European Integration of Georgia

Types Of The NC-TAIEX Assistance Expert missions in BC (max. 1-week duration) – Limited to maximum 1-2 TAIEX experts – TAIEX covers all logistic costs for the experts (transportation, accommodation…) Study visits in MS (max. 1-week duration) – Limited to maximum 3 TAIEX beneficiaries – TAIEX covers all logistic costs for the beneficiaries (transportation, accommodation…) – TAIEX does not cover costs for the host institution*

Origin Of TAIEX Requests Requests of TAIEX missions are originated by Public Administrations of Beneficiary Countries or are proposed by Services of the European Commission

Nb of TAIEX requests originated by NC&R or initiated by EC-DGs: 2006-07 (31.10.2007)

Nb of invitations for NC&R to TAIEX events: 2006-07 (31.10.2007)

Sectors of TAIEX requests from NC&R: 2006-07 (31.10.2007)

Types of TAIEX requests from NC&R: 2006-07 (31.10.2007)

TAIEX Requests TAIEX requests are sent to the TAIEX NCP: PAO or NCP appointed by the National Coordinator examines content and provides further information transmits requests to the ECD-Contact Person for visa forwards requests to the EC: at the same time to ELARG/D4 and AIDCO/A6 – from the TAIEX Website – http://taiex.ec.europa.eu where the on-line application forms can be found – by fax on headed-paper: +32.2.296.68.40 (or to send the on-line application forms) – by e-mail to: Elarg-Enp-Taiex@ec.europa.eu

Reception Of TAIEX Requests ELARG/D4 (TAIEX Unit) & AIDCO/A6 receive the TAIEX requests at the same time verify that the requests come from the TAIEX NCP with the EC Delegation Contact Person visa

Reception Of TAIEX Requests: Important Remarks In case TAIEX requests do NOT come from the PAO, ELARG/D4 & AIDCO/A6 send them back to the TAIEX NCP for agreement In case the TAIEX request is an EC suggestion, TAIEX NCP in PAO and CP in ECD have to verify that the request is a result of a previous coordination with the relevant Public Administration in the BC

Assessment Of TAIEX Requests Each TAIEX request previously approved by the TAIEX NCP and the ECD-CP is then analysed, within 1 to 2 weeks, by: ELARG/D4 for feasibility and coherence with the EU-acquis AIDCO/A6 for coherence with Action Plans or National Indicative Programmes (NIP)

Decisions On TAIEX Requests If the outcome is negative, ELARG/D4 – informs the TAIEX NCP explaining the refusal If the decision is positive, ELARG/D4 – informs the TAIEX NCP – inserts a specific event into the TAIEX database – attributes a specific TAIEX code number to this event

TAIEX Rejections NC&R 2006-2007 16% of the assessed TAIEX requests (Study Visits: 53%) Overlapping with Twinning Projects (matter, timing) Too weak relation with the acquis Private technical assistance Batch of applications Redundancy of TAIEX requests (same issue, different types) Call for a TAIEX financing to join non-TAIEX events

Internal TAIEX Consultation If ELARG/D4 & AIDCO/A6 agree with the request ELARG/D4 launches its 5 working days consultation towards DG RELEX (External Relations) towards competent line DG(s) During the consultation stage, AIDCO/A6 provides any necessary contributions

Preparation & Launching Of The TAIEX Event In the absence of negative comments, the Delegated Entity (GTZ) executes mandate from ELARG/D4 and ensures the event takes place according to instructions ELARG/D4 is responsible for the content of the TAIEX event in close collaboration with AIDCO/A6: invitations, agenda including location and venue identification of experts, contacts with the beneficiary GTZ is responsible for all logistic arrangements: catering, interpretation, equipment, venue requirements, flights, accommodation… During the preparation and launching stages, AIDCO/A6 provides any necessary contributions

TAIEX Experts Selection TAIEX experts are selected by ELARG/D4 – Civil servants (active or retired) from Member States Public Administration – EC-Officials (active or retired) In the framework of its request, the BC could suggest some experts to fulfil the TAIEX mission in order to constitute networks and to reinforce cooperation with Member States

Payment Of TAIEX Experts On TAIEX centralised budget TAIEX experts, MS civil servants, receive DSA + FAA + DSA: Daily Subsistence Allowance per-diem minus cost of hotel accommodation and breakfast + FAA: Fixed Additional Allowance per working and travel day (250 €*) + Travel costs are covered by TAIEX – Active EC-Officials are not paid from the TAIEX budget – Under special circumstances, accommodation costs could be covered for TAIEX participants in BC – TAIEX NCPs are not paid from the TAIEX budget

Evaluation Of TAIEX Events Each BC participant makes an evaluation of the TAIEX event through a questionnaire systematically distributed by ELARG/D4 One of the TAIEX experts evaluates the interventions of the other TAIEX experts Evaluation is made by ELARG/D4 to improve the TAIEX instrument

NC-TAIEX Project Cycle Agreed between DGs AIDCO, ELARG & RELEX Managed by the Units AIDCO/A6 & ELARG/D4 To implement the TAIEX instrument in the Neighbourhood Countries and in Russia To achieve objectives defined by the BC An adapted procedure in BC and within the EC for requesting TAIEX in Neighbourhood Countries To guarantee synergies with the other activities To avoid overlapping In the respect of the priorities defined by BC (approximation)

TAIEX & Twinning in NC&R (Public Expertise) TAIEX could be used: To improve the public administration To approximate the EU acquis To achieve the priorities of the NC&R To identify issues for Twinning Projects To reinforce networks between NC&R and EU-Member States To strengthen the network of the NCPs

Twinning Launching Workshop Tbilisi, 29th & 30th November 2007 European Commission Twinning Launching Workshop in Georgia Tbilisi, 29th & 30th November 2007 olivier.vanhoenacker@ec.europa.eu