TAIEX
TAIEX (The Technical Assistance and Information Exchange) represents a short-term technical assistance for the candidate and potential candidate countries from Western Balkan, in the field of approaching, application and implementation of the ЕU legislation, and in the upgrade of the administrative capacities. TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange) is financed from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance of EU - IPA Multi-beneficiary Programme by the principle “first registered, first served”.
The TAIEX office for technical assistance at the Directorate General for enlargement, on the 8th of December, 2003 held an initial meeting for cooperation with the countries part of the stabilization and association process. On this event officially was opened an opportunity for using the services of TAIEX in the Republic of Macedonia.
The opportunity for using the TAIEX services, especially in the part of providing technical assistance in transposition and implementation of the EU legislation, is from exceptionally meaning for the Republic of Macedonia. Including 2006, the costs for TAIEX instrument were covered by CARDS program, while today, they are completely covered through the IPA funds, where the institutions does not bear any extra financial costs.
The system of coordination and communication in accordance with the Direction for communication of the authorities of the public service with the services of the European Commission and other institutions of the European Union, adopted on the Eleventh closed session of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, held on 21st October, 2008 is the following:
The applications for expert assistance, organizing of workshops and study visits are submitted through the Secretariat for European Affairs (SEA), to the Delegation of the European Union, while the information from the TAIEX office in Brussels are first delivered to the Mission of the Republic of Macedonia in Brussels, and then are forwarded through the Secretariat for European Affairs – (SEA) to the regularity authorities.
When filling the forms for registration, is especially important to declare in details the themes that are proposed for further analysis and discussion, or to add the adequate relevant materials for which is claimed an expertise. The more accurately are defined the areas for which a service from TAIEX is asked, that bigger are the opportunities for their fast realization.
It is compulsory for every participant in a TAIEX seminar/workshop to deliver a Report to the competent ministry and to the SEA.
The persons that are nominated to attend to workshops/study visits/expert missions are chosen on the basis of their previously work experience, knowledge of the material areas, the willingness for further analysis, elaboration and implementation of the European standards in the national legislation, and the willingness for continued presiding of activities that arise from the realization of the liabilities that the Republic of Macedonia has towards the European Union.
Considering the fact that the process of approving of one application is short, and depending of does the institution knows the expert that is searching for (or depending of does it has previously established contact with the institution where he wants to go, at the study visit), but also considering the fact that the deadlines are short (as an illustration, for expert mission the answer is given for 3 to 4 weeks, for study visit – 4 to 5 weeks, whereas for workshop – for 8 weeks), it is necessary for the ministries to identify the needs for using the services of TAIEX in time, and to deliver it to the SEA, as coordinator of the TAIEX activities.
TAIEX has mediating role in transferring the experiences of the European Commission and the member states of the EU towards the potential countries for integration in EU. The program is managed by experts from TAIEX office within the Directorate General for Enlargement, in a close cooperation with experts from the state and regional administrative bodies, TAIEX hires experts from various associations and institutions from the half-private and in certain cases from universities and from the private sector. Thus, the users have an opportunity for getting assistance from experts that work on same level in the public services in the member states, and experts that are specialized for certain questions.
- To provide short term technical assistance and advice on the transposition of EU legislation into the national legislation of beneficiary countries and on the subsequent administration, implementation and enforcement of such legislation;
- To bring ENPI partner countries closer to the European Union, through increased economic integration and a deepening of political cooperation by sharing the experience gained during the enlargement process;
- To provide technical training and peer assistance to partners and stakeholders of the beneficiary countries;
- To be an information broker by gathering and making available information;
- To provide database tools for facilitating and monitoring the approximation progress as well as to identify further technical assistance needs;
- Technical assistance through the TAIEX instrument comes in many different forms and across a wide range of areas. Partner administrations can benefit from TAIEX’s flexibility to help meet wider training needs in EU legislation by reaching a significant number of officials. At the same time, it is important to retain an awareness of and be responsive to more targeted requests. In this regard, the expert and study visit format, depending entirely on requests received from beneficiary partners, provides a complementary institution building service;
- As with other TAIEX training formats, experts and study visits are designed to provide short term assistance to beneficiary countries on the approximation and implementation of EU legislation. Study visits are visits made by a limited number of officials of the beneficiary countries to Member State administrations. They give an opportunity to the beneficiaries to work alongside Member State officials to discuss legislation, experience first-hand administrative procedures and infrastructure and see examples of best practices;
- Expert missions on the other hand involve usually one or two Member State experts travelling to beneficiary partner countries. They provide an opportunity to discuss draft legislation, present examples of best practices and lend assistance where requested. The preferred format is working sessions involving an exchange of knowledge between the beneficiary countries and the experts.
- Civil servants working in public administrations; at national and sub-national level and in associations of local authorities;
- The Judiciary and Law Enforcement authorities;
- Parliaments and civil servants working in Parliaments and Legislative Councils;
- Professional and commercial associations representing social partners, as well as representatives of trade unions and employers’ associations;
- Interpreters, revisers and translators of legislative texts.
TAIEX does not provide direct support to private citizens, or to individual companies.
In 2008, a civil society visitor’s programme – the People to People programme (P2P) – was also launched under TAIEX operations as one of the components of the new “Civil Society Facility” (CSF) for the DG ELARG, aimed at strengthening civil society’s role in the democratic process.
Representatives of various civil society organisations from Republic of Macedonia have already been invited and have participated in study visits of EU institutions as well as of relevant EU umbrella non governmental organisations and other EU, national and international organisations in order to familiarize themselves with the huge body of EU policies, programmes, initiatives and best practice.
For more information on the P2P programme as well as the application process, please consult:
http://www.delmkd.ec.europa.eu/en/Civil_Society_and_EU/P2P_Programme.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/taiex/p2p/index_en.htm
Local Administration Facility (LAF)
Introduction
The new facility will support visits of local and regional authorities of Western Balkans, including both elected officials and senior staff, to Brussels during which they will visit EU institutions and meet with leading representatives of local and regional authorities in the EU. The aim is to increase understanding of what the EU means for the regional and local levels of government.
The Committee of the Regions and DG ELARG will coordinate the implementation of the LAF. The Local Administration Facility (LAF) will operate in the framework of TAIEX.
Pilot-test event will take place in Brussels on the 9-11th of February 2011 and will focus on climate change and energy issues.
The TAIEX mandate to provide assistance covers the following groups of beneficiary countries:
- Croatia, Iceland, Turkey, Republic of Macedonia;
- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo (as defined in UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999);
- Turkish Cypriot community in the northern part of Cyprus;
- Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine and Russia.
Applications
Application form for TAIEX Expert Mission
Application form for TAIEX Study Visit
Application form for TAIEX Workshop
Presentation
TAIEX - (Technical Assistance Information Exchange Office) Presentation
More information on www.taiex.be
Contact:
Mbaresa Istrefi Shaqiri
02/3200-222
mbaresa.istrefi@sep.gov.mk