Twinning

TWINNING

• Statistics Concerning the Twinning Projects in Türkiye
• Useful Documents

Launched in May 1998, Twinning is now one of the principal tools of ‘Institution Building' assistance. Twinning aims to help beneficiary countries in the development of modern and efficient administrations, with the structures,human resources and management skills needed to implement the acquis communautaire. Twinning provides the framework for administrations and semi-public organisations in the beneficiary countries to work with their counterparts within the EU. Together they develop and implement a targeted project aimed at supporting the transposition, enforcement and implementation of a specific part of EU acquis.

The main feature of a Twinning project is that it sets out to deliver specific and guaranteed results and not to foster general co-operation. The parties agree in advance on a detailed work programme to meet an objective concerning priority areas of the acquis, as set out in the Accession Partnerships. Since 1998, beneficiary countries have benefited from around 3000 Twinning projects.

Under Twinning, an EU Member State expert, a practitioner in the implementation of the acquis, is seconded to a new Member State, acceding, candidate or potential candidate country to effect long-term change. The expert, known as a "Resident Twinning Adviser" or RTA is an individual seconded from a Member State administration or other approved body in a Member State to work full time in the corresponding public institution in the Beneficiary Country to help implement an agreed project with targeted goals and objectives.The RTA is supported by a senior Project Leader in their Member State home administration, who is responsible for ensuring project implementation and co-ordination of input from the Member State.

Türkiye is now proceeding with accession negotiations as a candidate. It will have to demonstrate its resolve and ability to complete the necessary transformations to implement union legislation. Twinning will therefore remain an essential tool at its service to reach the required level of administrative and judicial capacity. The current approach to Türkiye as candidate country is "accession-driven" concentrating on supporting priority areas aimed at helping this country in preparing for EU membership.