TAIEX and Twinning Highlights: Annual Activity Report 2022

The European Union stands firmly and fully with Ukraine and will continue to provide strong political, economic, military, financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes.

In 2022, Ukrainian institutions submitted 30% more requests for TAIEX than in the previous year. With over 90 institutions and more than 1000 Ukrainian officials participating, EU-Ukraine institution building cooperation expanded in 2022.

Some of the activities addressed immediate needs of Ukrainian partners – such as the reintegration of veterans and port and flag state inspections to protect human lives at sea.

“Despite the difficult circumstances that we were in – bombings, electricity shortages, and lack of internet connection – the participants succeeded in organising workshops, learning from the EU experience. It will make Ukraine one step closer to EU membership."
- Oleksandra Orel, Chief Specialist, State Service of Maritime and Inland Water Transport and Shipping, Ukraine

At the end of 2022, 4 Twinning projects were also ongoing with 7 EU Member States involved in the areas of food safety, financial services, and economic and monetary policy.

Our cooperation has continued thanks to flexible use of virtual and hybrid practices mastered during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also demonstrates the reactivity and resilience of EU institution building tools in support of our partners.

The primary focus of TAIEX and Twinning is on supporting public administrations in the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership, the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood, and Türkiye. In 2022, 58% of all TAIEX events and 94% of ongoing Twinning projects benefitted partners in these regions.

Helping improve air quality in Egypt, boost statistics collection in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and make use of spatial data to enhance the cadastre in Moldova are just a few examples of the instruments’ impact.

From supporting alignment with EU acquis to sharing best practices among local and regional authorities, the TAIEX and Twinning instruments create trust and confidence between EU Member States and neighbourhood and enlargement countries, and pave the way for future strategic cooperation.

From preventing corruption in Ecuador to supporting green investments in Vietnam,
TAIEX and Twinning INTPA (International Partnerships) assist in structural reforms in low and middle-income partner countries covered by the Directorate-General for International Partnerships. The instruments bring together public sector experts from beneficiary countries and EU Member States in a Team Europe approach. They help strengthen public institutions – and contribute to the EU external action priorities, such as the Global Gateway strategy and the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plans (EIPs). TAIEX and Twinning INTPA support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

From backing Hong Kong’s anti-human trafficking fight to promoting plant breeders’ rights in Chile,
TAIEX FPI (Service for Foreign Policy instruments) advances EU’s interests and values in the world and strengthens relations with high-income countries and territories. It allows the EU to establish wider political dialogues, strengthen ongoing partnerships, promote EU’s visibility and reinforce the profile of the EU as a key global actor and a trusted partner. In 2022, TAIEX FPI activities in the Americas, Asia and the Caribbean supported the EU and partner countries’ mutual interests and alignment with the international standards across number of areas like circular economy, human rights, employment policies and trade.

In cooperation with European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment,
TAIEX EIR (Environmental Implementation Review) facilitates peer-to-peer learning between national and local authorities in Member States in order to address challenges in the implementation of EU environmental policy and legislation. For example, to support the Zero Pollution Action Plan for Air, Water and Soil, TAIEX EIR delivered a workshop for all EU Member States.

In cooperation with European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy,
TAIEX REGIO supports programme authorities and other public bodies in EU Member States in the management of the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the Just Transition Fund. In 2022, TAIEX REGIO supported eighteen Member States by providing technical assistance in areas such as transport, environment, urban development and smart specialisation.

In cooperation with European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support,
TAIEX TSI (Technical Support Instrument) supports EU Member States in the design and implementation of institutional, administrative and growth-enhancing reforms. It helps build effective and efficient institutions, and supports the preparation and implementation of the national Recovery and Resilience Plans. In 2022, TAIEX TSI promoted eHealth in Slovenia, assisted in developing a more sustainable tourism model in Croatia, and helped develop a long-term care system for the elderly in Greece, among others.

Since 2006, TAIEX has been mobilised to help the Turkish Cypriot community prepare for applying the EU acquis after reunification. TAIEX helped organise over 3900 events and draft more than 240 legal texts, bringing the community closer to EU standards in areas such as environment, food safety and health.

We know that crime is not only a problem of individual countries but a global threat to peace and prosperity in the world. The TAIEX Prosecutors Forum helped us bring together practitioners from different regions in Montenegro around the same goal of combatting all types of crime. In the future, we will continue to strengthen our cooperation based not only on the legal basis but also on the established mutual trust.

Jelena Djaletic, State Prosecutor, Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, Montenegro
22^nd TAIEX International Forum for Prosecutors on Fighting Cross-Border Organised Crime
Budva, Montenegro
8-9 November 2022

The fieldwork was way above expectations and, as the Turkish delegation, we left very satisfied. All of our questions have been answered, there was no shortcoming in the information, and efforts were made to meet whatever we needed.

Halil Emre Kışlıoğlu, Engineer, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye
TAIEX study visit on drought monitoring
Parma, Italy
7-9 November 2022

The activities we have been able to undertake thanks to TAIEX have enabled not only people-to-people contacts and informal exchanges, extremely vital in this part of the world, but also allowed for the sharing of European expertise and know-how in strategic areas such as education and training. It has also given us the means through which to implement the EU’s Strategic Partnership with the Gulf, adopted in May 2022.

Patrick Simonnet, EU Ambassador to Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia
TAIEX PI study visit on the EU policies, practices and relations with the Gulf countries
Belgium and the Netherlands
10-14 October 2022

TAIEX has greatly strengthened the relations and contact between the Dominican Republic and EU Member States. In addition, it really helped the Dominican Republic prepare for the Digital Bill of Rights discussion at the Ibero-American Summit.

Arisleidy Aquino
Governmental Office for Information Technology and Communications, Dominican Republic
TAIEX INTPA study visit on strengthening the digital technologies public policy design and evaluation
Madrid, Spain
28 November - 2 December 2022

EU enlargement was strongly present in the work of TAIEX in 2022 with 17 peer reviews for 8 enlargement countries organised over the year – as well as the screening process with Albania and North Macedonia starting in September 2022.

Initiated by the Commission services, TAIEX peer reviews assess a particular sector, such as countering organised crime and corruption – or civil protection and flood management. TAIEX peer reviews look at institutional performance, legislative framework or the state of reforms, and provide information on the state of play or progress made in the partner country.

The screening of the EU acquis is the first step in accession negotiations, beginning with the fundamentals cluster. It is carried out jointly by the Commission and candidate countries. This process allows enlargement countries’ administrations to familiarise themselves with the 35 chapters of the EU acquis, and subsequently to establish their level of compliance and plans for further alignment. TAIEX is providing logistical assistance for the screening process with Albania and North Macedonia, which will last until November 2023. In 2022, 29 screening meetings took place with 2251 participants in total.

The 22nd TAIEX Prosecutors Forum in Montenegro focused on combating cross-border economic and cyber crime. The event gathered over 100 representatives from 30 countries and was organised in cooperation with the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office of Montenegro, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, Eurojust, the European Public Prosecutors’ Office (EPPO) and the Public Prosecutor General`s Office of Saxony, Germany.

Attendees discussed recent cases involving money laundering, cyber crime, asset recovery, and digital evidence. The forum enhanced prosecutors’ international cooperation, helped build professional networks, and strengthened institutional capacity to tackle cross-border cases. TAIEX will continue to support partner countries in key legal reforms with customised technical assistance.

TAIEX continues to support local authorities in Europe and beyond. The focus in 2022 was in the Western Balkans with 13 implemented events reaching 484 participants.

32 public experts from 10 EU Member States shared their insights on topics such as e-governance and smart cities, rural development, public procurement, waste management, and climate change education.

TAIEX INTPA also supported local authorities in partner countries. For instance, a dedicated workshop in Kazakhstan focused on boosting Public Councils' potential, contributing to transparency & efficiency in civil service at the national, regional and local levels.

The TAIEX instrument underwent a comprehensive external evaluation for the 2015-2020 period. The final report was published in December 2022.

86% of beneficiaries and 89% of experts agreed that TAIEX events strengthened their professional network with public officials from other countries.

Although primarily intended as an instrument for strengthening the capacities of beneficiaries, TAIEX has also boosted the knowledge and skills of public officials participating as experts. 95% of experts agreed that the events had contributed to their personal and professional development and that they learned a lot from the beneficiaries.

Over 90% of respondents perceived the administrative burden of TAIEX as low in comparison to the results achieved.

Click here to download the full evaluation report.

TAIEX assistance is open to:

- Civil servants working in central public administrations;
- Judiciary and law enforcement authorities;
- Civil servants working in parliaments and legislative councils;
- Representatives of social partners, trade unions and employers’ associations.

TAIEX mandate does not include providing direct support to civil society, private citizens or to individual companies.

We analyse incoming requests on a rolling basis. To apply for TAIEX, go to ec.europa.eu/taiex/application

For support with filling in the application form, please read this guide or contact us at NEAR-TAIEX@ec.europa.eu

Most TAIEX events have publicly available agendas and presentations. Beneficiaries can draw inspiration from similar projects implemented elsewhere when requesting TAIEX assistance.

All TAIEX events are adapted to the audience, however using the agenda of an implemented event as a starting point allows for faster organisation. It is likely that several TAIEX events in your area of interest already took place. To find inspiration, you can scan the database by keywords.

Visit ec.europa.eu/taiex/search to view TAIEX events and materials.

Would you like to become a TAIEX expert?

Public officials of EU Member States with expertise relevant to TAIEX beneficiaries can register as TAIEX experts or institutional contact points.

TAIEX experts can participate as speakers in workshops and expert missions, or host study visits matching their specific profile.

To register, visit ec.europa.eu/taiex/experts

For more information, interested public officials can consult the Frequently Asked Questions.

123 Twinning projects were ongoing in 2022.

The Western Balkans was the region with the most ongoing projects, followed by the Southern Neighbourhood.

7 projects were ongoing beyond the neighbourhood and enlargement region. In cooperation with DG INTPA, 4 projects started in the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Namibia and Rwanda.

_{* Following the Council conclusions on Belarus (11660/20), the EU has recalibrated its assistance to the maximum extent away from supporting the central authorities. As a consequence, all Twinning projects in Belarus have been cancelled in 2022.}

_{** This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.}

_{*** The designation of Palestine shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.}

On 1 September 2022, the updated version of the Twinning Manual (revision 2017 – update 2022) came into force. The update implemented feedback from stakeholder consultations that took place in 2020 and 2021. It focused on the immediate priorities and its achievements can be summarised in three main points:

1. Simplification and improvement in the workflow;

2. More flexibility in the implementation;

3. Taking into account lessons learnt from the pilot Twinning projects in INTPA countries.

Click here to access the updated manual.

Twinning is available for countries and territories covered by the EU's neighbourhood and enlargement policies (NEAR) as well as the international partnership and development policy (INTPA). To request a Twinning project, please contact the EU delegation in your country.

1. Once a partner country and the Commission decide that Twinning is the appropriate instrument to support reform within the public administration, a Twinning fiche is prepared and a call for proposals is launched to all EU countries.
2. After receiving the proposals, a selection committee awards the project either to a single Member State or a consortium. This committee also includes representatives from the partner country.
3. Two project leaders, a Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) and an RTA counterpart in the partner administration are responsible for the implementation. The RTA is seconded to the partner institution for the full duration of the project.
4. Evaluation. All Twinning projects are reviewed 6-12 months after their implementation.

• Define clear objectives and concrete results the project should achieve.
• Make sure that the project is accompanying the reforms that are mature and part of the EU-partner country joint policy agenda.
• Ensure that there is political consensus on the reforms and the management buy-in at the beneficiary institution.
• Check that there is a clear advantage of using public sector expertise.
• The beneficiary institution needs to be sufficiently staffed in order to deliver on its mission and on the objectives of the project.
• The mandatory results need to be realistic, attainable within the project duration and budget, and accompanied with well-defined indicators of achievement.

This report is published on the 25^th anniversary of the Twinning instrument. We invite you to celebrate this milestone together, as the EU institution building community.

The Twinning instrument has been an important tool of the European Union's external cooperation over the past 25 years. Created in 1998 to support the then-candidate countries in public administration reforms necessary for the EU accession, the instrument has undergone several changes, expanding its scope and geographical reach. While evolving, the Twinning instrument has remained true to its core mission of supporting partner countries in their efforts to align with EU standards.

During this time, over 2000 Resident Twinning Advisers from EU Member State institutions were deployed to partner countries’ administrations. These experts are the standout feature of the Twinning instrument and symbolise the “learning by doing” foundation of this type of peer-to-peer exchange.

To complement standard Twinning, over 600 Twinning Light projects delivered a more targeted, mid-term support for 31 partner countries. This form of Twinning has been used to address institutional issues with a more limited scope than in the case of standard Twinning.

• Twinning launches
  In 1998, the Twinning instrument was set up to support the then-candidate countries in public administration reforms necessary for the EU accession.
• Twinning expands to the Western Balkans
  In 2002, the geographical scope of Twinning broadened as it was launched in the Western Balkans for certain institution building programmes, mainly in the sphere of justice and home affairs.
• Positive evaluation
  In 2003, the contribution of Twinning was recognised by the European Court of Auditors in its report: “Twinning is … a positive initiative by the European Commission to assist candidate countries in acquiring the capacity to adopt, implement and enforce the EU acquis. The Twinning projects acted as a catalyst in setting the candidate countries’ reform in motion, bringing together specialists from MS and candidate countries’ administrations and promoting the adoption of the Community legislation.”
• Second expansion
  In 2004, the Twinning instrument also expanded to the EU’s Eastern and Southern neighbours. That same year, new Member States from Central and Eastern Europe started sharing their transitional and reform implementation experience through Twinning.
• Common Twinning manual
  In 2005, a common Twinning manual came into force, covering the ten new Member States (under Transition Facility), Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania (PHARE), Türkiye (Pre-accession Financial Assistance), the Western Balkans (CARDS2), the Mediterranean basin (MEDA3) and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (TACIS4).
• Proven impact
  In 2019, the Evaluation of the Twinning instrument in the period 2010-2017 concluded that “Twinning has made a positive contribution to achieving the EU’s objectives through effective exchange of public sector expertise.”
• Global expansion
  Since 2020, Twinning INTPA is available around the world to countries and territories covered by the EU development policy, making Twinning the global instrument it is today.
• Digital leap
  In 2020, Twinning adapted to the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak with a digital leap and maintained its activities throughout the pandemic.
• 25 years of Twinning
  By the end of 2022, EU Member States’ institutions delivered over 2800 Twinning projects in 34 countries.

500+ projects in Western Balkans and Türkiye (2003-2022)

Top sectors:
1. Justice and home affairs
2. Finance, internal market and economic criteria
3. Agriculture and fisheries
4. Environment
5. Social affairs and employment

220+ projects in the Eastern Partnership countries (2007-2022)

Top sectors:
1. Finance, internal market and economic criteria
2. Justice and home affairs
3. Standardisation and certification, trade & industry
4. Social affairs and employment
5. Transport

260+ projects in the Southern Neighbourhood (2005-2022)

Top sectors:
1. Finance, internal market and economic criteria
2. Justice and home affairs
3. Standardisation and certification, trade & industry
4. Social affairs and employment
5. Transport

All-time top 3 sectors:

Justice and home affairs – 660+ delivered Twinning projects
Finance, internal market and economic criteria – 520+ delivered Twinning projects
Agriculture and fisheries – 370+ delivered Twinning projects

All-time top 3 beneficiaries:

285 Romania
243 Bulgaria
217 Poland

By becoming EU Member States, these countries have transformed from recipients to providers of expertise. As originally intended, Twinning paved the way for the EU’s Fifth Enlargement.

Institutions from Bulgaria, Romania and Poland now share their lessons learned and best practices through Twinning with partners in the enlargement and neighbourhood regions.

To mark the anniversary, a new set of digital promotional materials has been prepared for Twinning. Visit ec.europa.eu/twinning25 to watch Twinning in action.

Twinning brings the self-confidence – that we are doing things according to best practices.
I think this is one of the best benefits we are receiving from the project.

Giorgi Chitadze, Resident Twinning Adviser counterpart, Deputy Director General – Georgian Accreditation Center, Georgia

Watch the video

We are looking to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the Twinning programme through workshops, training sessions, expert missions. The ongoing Twinning programme is proving to be a great opportunity to deepen our knowledge and practice.

Dr. Elida Mataj, Project Leader counterpart, Head of Environmental Epidemiology, Albanian Institute of Public Health

Watch the video

In the case of Palestine, Twinning provides key and distinctive support to state-building activities and to maintaining the viability of the two-state solution.

Shereen Abu Eid, Programme Officer, Office of the EU Representative (West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA)

Watch the video

As we navigate the ever-evolving challenges of our global society, strong public administrations have never been more crucial. To help countries adapt and thrive, we believe in the power of international cooperation and peer learning. This is where our Twinning instrument comes into play.

Twinning projects foster long-term partnerships between the beneficiary and EU Member State administrations, going beyond the lifetime of a single project. The emphasis on stakeholder ownership is a design feature that boosts sustainability of project outcomes.

As we look to the future, Twinning will continue to play a key role in the EU's enlargement process, assisting candidate and potential candidate countries in adopting and implementing EU legislation. The invaluable experiences gained from former accession countries place Twinning in a unique position to spearhead this journey.

However, Twinning is not just about the EU — it is also about the important contributions and perspectives brought in by our beneficiary countries. Your experiences, ideas, and innovations are what truly drive the success of Twinning.

We invite you to share your experiences with Twinning—both your triumphs and challenges. How can Twinning better serve your needs? What does the future of international cooperation look like to you? Don't hesitate to reach out and join the conversation at NEAR-TWINNING@ec.europa.eu

Your voice matters and can shape the future of our collective efforts. Together, we can redefine the boundaries of international cooperation.

On 23-24 November 2022, the annual Institution Building Days (IBDs) brought together the TAIEX and Twinning community to support public administration reforms and promote EU best practice around the world.

The Institution Building Days are a platform for officials representing Member States and partner countries to address challenges and discuss future priorities in Team Europe approach. The uniting theme of the event was evolution – how TAIEX and Twinning evolved due to the pandemic – as well as the instruments' geographical expansion beyond the enlargement and neighbourhood regions.

The 2022 edition welcomed over 350 registered participants both onsite in Brussels as well as virtually all over the world. Over 10 Commission services, some 30 EU Delegations and, for the first time, partners from Africa, Central Asia and Latin America participated.

During the Institution Building Days, participants based in INTPA countries provided feedback on how the TAIEX INTPA application form should be rewritten. In response, the team behind TAIEX INTPA introduced adjustments to support first-time applicants. The updated application forms were released in January 2023.

National Contact Points for TAIEX also indicated that they would welcome more regional TAIEX activities on the green and digital transition – to make the events more impactful and allow beneficiaries to learn from each other’s challenges. Taking this into account, TAIEX delivered a regional workshop on the accession to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) for five Eastern Partnership countries in April 2023. A request from Morocco for TAIEX support on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism regulation has also been transformed into a regional event for the Southern Neighbourhood.

When discussing communications during the IBDs, we’ve been told that the TAIEX website should feature a video demonstrating what TAIEX is and how it works, in simple terms. Since July 2023, a brand new animated explanatory video is featured prominently on the TAIEX website.