EuropeAid

Olivier Vanhoenacker, Multi-Country Programmes

Tbilisi, 29th & 30th November 2007

Twinning Launching Workshop

Implementation of theTAIEX Instrument in the Neighbouring Countries

EuropeAidExtension 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

EuropeAid

PAOs Are Set Up In 11 NC:NCPs For Twinning & NCPs For TAIEXPAOs: experience of the implementationof 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

EuropeAidTAIEX NCPs within the PAOs – EastArmenia Mr Hrayr Gyonjyan

hrayr.gyonjyan@mfe.amAzerbaijan Mr Asgar Alakbarov

aalakbarov@ncu.gov.azGeorgia Mr Roman Kakulia

rk.ncu@caucasus.netMoldova Mrs Tatiana Udrea

ut@moldova.mdRussia Mrs Elena Kolerova

kolerova@economy.gov.ruUkraine Mr Andriy Vyshnevsky

andriy.vyshnevsky@center.gov.ua

EuropeAidTAIEX NCPs within the PAOs – SouthEgypt Mrs Injie Kotb

injie.kotb@ee-aa.netIsrael Mr Raphael Morav

raphael.morav@mfa.gov.ilJordan Mr Marwan Al-Refai

marwan.r@mop.gov.joLebanon Mrs Maha Siblini

pao@pcm.gov.lbMorocco Mr Mohamed Doubi-Kadmiri

ugpaaa@menara.maTunisia Mrs Nawele Ben Romdhane Dhrif

directeur@ugp3a.gov.tn

EuropeAidWhat 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

EuropeAidTAIEX 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

EuropeAidTAIEX Beneficiaries

Public Administration

Public Agencies

Private sector Associations

Social Partners

EuropeAidTAIEX 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

EuropeAidTypes 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

EuropeAid

TAIEX 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 Tbilisi 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 Stateto be confirmed

Committee of European Integration of Georgia

Examples Of TAIEX Events from Georgia

EuropeAidTypes 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*

EuropeAidOrigin Of TAIEX Requests

Requests of TAIEX missions are originated

by Public Administrations of Beneficiary Countries

or are proposed

by Services of the European Commission

EuropeAidNb of TAIEX requests originated by NC&Ror initiated by EC-DGs: 2006-07 (31.10.2007)

NC&R

DG

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.-06 Jan.-07 Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct.

EuropeAidNb of invitations for NC&Rto TAIEX events: 2006-07 (31.10.2007)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

SANCO

TRADEMARKT

TREN

JLS

ENTR

TAXUD

COMP

EMPL

ENV

AGR

RSH

ECFIN

INFSO

REGIO

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

Transport9%

Energy6%

Telecom4%

Others7%

Agriculture &Environment

18%

Internal Market& Social Affairs

18%

Justice, Liberty& Security

14%

Competition& Customs

12%

Trade &Industry

12%

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

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

AM

AZ

EG

GE

IL

JO

LB

MA

MD

RU

TN

UA

WSP

EM

SV

EuropeAidTAIEX Requests TAIEX requests are sent to the TAIEX NCP:

PAO or NCP appointed by the National Coordinator

1) examines content and provides further information

2) transmits requests to the ECD-Contact Person for visa

3) 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

EuropeAidReception 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 NCPwith the EC Delegation Contact Person visa

EuropeAid

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

EuropeAidAssessment Of TAIEX Requests Each TAIEX request previously approvedby 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)

EuropeAidDecisions 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

EuropeAidTAIEX Rejections NC&R 2006-200716% 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

EuropeAidInternal 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

EuropeAidPreparation & 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

EuropeAidTAIEX 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

EuropeAidPayment Of TAIEX ExpertsOn 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

EuropeAidEvaluation 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

EuropeAidNC-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)

EuropeAidTAIEX & Twinning in NC&R(Public Expertise)

TAIEX could be used:

o To improve the public administrationo To approximate the EU acquiso To achieve the priorities of the NC&Ro To identify issues for Twinning Projects

o To reinforce networks between NC&R and EU-Member States

o To strengthen the network of the NCPs

EuropeAid

Twinning Launching Workshop

in Georgia

Tbilisi, 29th & 30th November 2007

olivier.vanhoenacker@ec.europa.eu

European CommissionEuropean Commission