The 2012 Revision of the
Common Twinning Manual
Institution Building Days
DG Enlargement – DG DEVCO EuropeAid
Brussels,7 June 2012
Introduction
• Why?
• Periodical revision of the Twinning rules
• Evaluation TA vs. Twinning (2010) ELARG
• First Evaluation of the Institutional Twinning Instrument
with the ENP countries (2011) DEVCO
• How?
• Shorter gap between programming and implementation
• More flexibility = more responsibility for twinners
• NB: Some of the changes only for IPA projects
Applicability
The Twinning Manual 2012 is applicable to all
projects for which the notification of selection has
been sent on or after 2 April 2012
Shortening the gap - I
• Selection meeting 2 weeks after the deadline for
submission of proposals.
• Tight deadlines for Beneficiaries and EUD to
decide on proposals and inform MS: selection
within 3 weeks of selection meeting,
communication with no delay.
• If deadline not met, MS can notify that it is no
longer bound by its proposal and Twinning Fiche
may be re-circulated.
Shortening the gap - II
• "Selection under ENPI" – Notification of Results:
The CA specify in the letter possible dates for the
first preparatory mission in the BC within the
next two weeks.
• Reduction from 6 months to 4 (IPA) or 5 (ENPI)
for the negotiation of the contract (but same
reimbursable preparation costs).
Increasing flexibility
• Side letters for budgetary changes also after the
“15% addendum”
• No addenda for suspension or termination
• No request for first pre-financing
• Under IPA, Operative Side Letters detail the work
plan and the budget, which in the contract are in
an abridged form
Increasing public character
• Project Leader more involved in the steering of
the project
• Junior Project Leader attends Project Steering
Committees
• Clarification of RTA role and assignments
• Clarification of competences of ad hoc mandated
bodies
Other significant changes
•
•
•
•
Support to visibility events
Consolidation of official notes and guidelines
Alignement to the PRAG 2012
Text consistency
Project Leaders responsibility
• Under IPA: Operative Side Letters require deeper
involvement of the Lead Project Leader
• Junior Project Leader can attend Project Steering
Committees – growing number of consortia
Resident Twinning Adviser
• Twinning project cannot run without RTA.
• Avoid professionalization of RTA – secure link
with the MS Public Administration – mark a
difference with consultants
• Limit to assignments (max 4):
•
•
•
•
Not more that 3 years in same Beneficiary
Not more than 2 projects in same region
For 3rd project at least 6 uninterrupted months in MS
For 4th project at least 3 uninterrupted years in MS
Mandated Bodies
• Mandated bodies are semi-public bodies that
must satisfy the following criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Proven competence in a field of the EU Acquis
Non-profit structure, non-commercial purpose
Public ownership
Under the permanent and structural supervision
of a government authority
5. A sufficient and proportionate level of permanent
staff
• In case criteria 2 and 3 are partially fulfilled,
restricted mandated body status can be granted.
Special case: ad hoc mandated body
• Ad hoc mandated bodies (do not fulfil one or
more criteria other than 2 or 3) can provide only
a "small, very specialised contribution to a
Twinning project".
• Therefore staff of ad hoc mandated bodies cannot
perform any key role in the project (Project
Leader or RTA).
Increased importance of visibility
• Opening and closure events are seen as visibility
events
• In exceptional cases up to 500 € can be foreseen
for small catering during those events
• Visibility important not only for the success of a
project, also for its sustainability
Consolidation of official notes and
guidelines
• Update of Twinning Review Missions procedures
• Inclusion of Fact Finding Missions guidelines
• Universities and academic institutions are not
seen as practitioners of Public Administrations,
therefore can apply only for ad hoc (letter EC to
NCP of 2006).
Main change under IPA
• Details of WP and Budget outside of contract
• Operative Side Letters – First one with contract,
following every 6 months (Project Steering
Committee)
• PL cannot delegate signature OSL
• CA must have at least five days to evaluate a
draft OSL
• No comment allows for implementation as of
sixth working day
Thank you for your attention
Twinning Coordination Team – DG ELARG
Paolo Gozzi (Team leader)
Jordi Rodríguez Ruiz
Marc Patuzzo
Birgit Persson
Elarg Twinning Mail: Elarg-twinning@ec.europa.eu
Twinning Coordination Team – DG DEVCO
Christophe Ingels (Team leader)
Joanna Jablonska (Eastern Partnership)
Lucia Santuccione (Middle East)
María del Mar Roca (Northern Africa)
Devco Twinning Mail: EuropeAid-Twinning-Operations@ec.europa.eu