Twinning projects have the aim of assisting EU candidate countries and potential EU candidate countries with adopting EU law (the acquis communautaire) and with building the necessary administrative capacity ('institution building'). Certain neighbouring countries can also participate in the twinning programme. In their case, the emphasis is placed on approximation to EU law and EU standards.
(Potential) candidate countries can take part in the "Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance" (IPA) and neighbouring countries can join the "European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument" (ENPI). As part of both programmes, experts from the public administrations of EU Member States pass on their know-how and experience with the transposition of EU law to their colleagues in the respective partner country.
The IPA programme, which prepares a country for accession to the EU, includes the candidate countries (i.e. Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey) and the potential candidates of the Western Balkans, (i.e. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo).
Under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), the Twinning Programme is also available to countries that are not candidates for accession but could profit from forging closer ties with the EU and that want to promote equitable social and economic development.
Persons who work in the public sector can be deployed in these projects as project leaders, resident twinning advisors or short-term experts. If you are interested, please contact:
Division VI b 1 International Labour and Social Policy, Twinning
Wilhelmstraße 49
10117 Berlin
phone: +49 30 18 527 6547
In Germany, twinning is coordinated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Further information on twinning is available on the website of the National Contact Point for Twinning of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (in German).