Community agencies: partners in accession

Cooperation with EMCDDA - Polish experience

Boguslawa Bukowska, National Bureau for Drug Prevention

25-27.11.2009, Sintra

Polish road to accession

Process for accession started in mid-1990s

Phare 1994, 1996, 1998 Multi-beneficiary Program on Drug

Information System, 2001-2002, coordinated by EMCDDA

Phare 2000, Phare 2003 – major instrument of pre-accession assistance

Main objectives

Improvement of public health and security

Strenghtening the institutional and administrative capacity at the national, regional and local level in order to improve the implementation of the EU drug acquis and develop administrative structure

When we start……

In the beginning the idea of joining the EU – rather distant and abstract

Objectives - imprecise Insufficient knowledge on expectations

and standards to be achieved Red tape formalities Bumpy road

EMCDDA as crucial partner

Political support Informal influence Professional support

• Know-how, standards, procedures

Drawing on experience and achievements of beneficiary country

Partnership Friendly, patient, open-minded team

What should be attained? Development of Drug Information System and

Focal Point Setting up interministerial Council for

Counteracting Drug Addiction Strenghtening the mechanisms of

interministerial cooperation Establishing Early Warning System Development of civil society

Supportive factors Pressure of EU EMCDDA support Participation in many workshops and

conferences to support the process Presenting results of monitoring to policy

makers Realistic approach to create new structures Creating useful instruments to meet acquis

communautaire – twinning project and technical assistance

What is twinning?

A cooperation tool between a BC Public Administration and the equivalent MS institution

It aims at upgrading the BC institution through training, reorganisation as well as drafting of laws and regulations

It consists of sending public officials from MS to BC

Twinning – useful instrument

Provides unique opportunity:

• To transfer of know how and best practices from EU Member States and European Agencies

• to strengthen human resources of BC

• to strengthen internal mechanisms of cooperation

• to build up international network of information exchange

Support of twinning partners -external factors of progress

Sensitivity to cultural differences Drawing on experience, knowledge and

competence of BC Avoiding mechanical transfer of solutions

from the MS to BC Partnership Readiness to provide political support

Internal supportive factors – useful assumptions

External experts may support the change process; however, they will not do implement changes for beneficiary country

Strategy of cooperation building• Using existing resources

• Welcoming participation of stakeholders and their involvement, avoiding exclusion and competition

Sustainability of results Building management structures – the role of PL

and cooperation with decision makers

Technical Assistance

Very useful when there is a relevant technical gap in the level of development of the Beneficiary institution

• Development of software

• Purchase of hardware

• Purchase of transport vehicles

Benchmarks

Adjusting legislation to EU requirements• Legal grounds for Council for Couneracting

Drug Addiction and Focal Point

Development of institutional structure Strengthening human resources at

national, regional and local level

Challenges… Gap between operational engagement and

policy makers Shortening timeline between designing a

project fiche, its approval by EC and the implementation

Ensuring adequate co-financing as a factor contributing to the optimal effects of the twinning. BC cofinancing with human resources, office space, training/ conference venues and interpretation etc.

More practical information in manual for BC

Added value

Implementing legislative solutions in favour of counteracting drug addiction

Strengthening the material infrustructure of BC institutions

Valuable human relationship

Thank you for your attention

boguslawa.bukowska@kbpn.gov.pl