German participation in the EU’s Twinning instrument

Germany is actively involved in Twinning activities that support efforts to strengthen public administrative bodies in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and the New Independent States. The aim of Twinning is to support the EU’s new Members, the accession candidates and the EU’s new neighbours as they bring their legislation into line with European law, the acquis communautaire as it is known, and to build up the structures necessary for its implementation. Twinning involves experts, primarily from the authorities of the German Federation and the Länder, being seconded for up to two years to partner countries, where they conduct projects jointly with the local authorities. Apart from the economy, agriculture and home affairs, environmental protection is one of the programme’s main priorities. Germany is by far the most active Member State in the environmental sector. Represented by the Federal Environment Ministry (BMU), Germany took part in 79 Twinning projects on environmental issues from 1998 to April 2012 with a total budget of more than 78 million euros, acting as the project leader in 66 cases (see list of projects).

The German commitment in the field of environmental protection prioritises projects on air and water monitoring, waste disposal and waste legislation, Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC), general support for the drafting of environmental strategies, the establishment of structural funds and general measures to build up administrative structures. At present, the BMU is collaborating on projects with Serbia, Turkey and Armenia (see list of projects).

Procedure

Twinning projects are conceived and put out to tender by the new Member States or candidate countries in consultation with the European Commission. The projects are awarded at the end of a competitive process in which interested administrative bodies from the EU Member States draw up proposals and present them in the countries where the projects will run. It is also possible for several EU countries to collaborate in a consortium. Once a partner has been selected, a comprehensive contract between the two countries is drafted to regulate the work plan for the project and its substantive content. Twinning projects are financed with EU funds under the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) programme for the accession candidates and the states of the Western Balkans, and under the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI) for the New Independent States and the Mediterranean Region, while there was a Transition Facility in place for some years for countries that had already joined the EU.

Developments in Twinning among the new EU Member States

In the first few years after the introduction of the Twinning programme, the intention was for the projects to help put in place the fundamental preconditions for accession to the EU. The main priorities were accordingly set at a superordinate level with regard to legal approximation, institution building and the development of environmental strategies, as well as the development of monitoring capacities in particular technical fields. However, the ten states that joined the EU in 2004 have very largely completed the transposition of EU environmental legislation into national law and the establishment of the most important administrative structures. For a time, it was still possible for the new EU Members to put Twinning projects out to tender under the Transition Facility programme, but this instrument has now been phased out. Nevertheless, the new EU Member States are able to bid to act as the EU partners in Twinning projects and so pass on their own experience of preparing for EU accession.

Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU on 1 January 2007. They have transposed most of the legal instruments in the environmental sector. Transitional periods were only agreed in a few fields that require particularly heavy investment such as waste recycling, wastewater management and air quality control. Apart from fulfilling their legal obligations, the new Members are also concerned to create the structural preconditions for the utilisation of EU financial assistance, which will enable them to raise the capital funds they urgently require in order to comply with the new environmental standards. Since 1998, Bulgaria has put out to tender and conducted Twinning projects intended to support the establishment of administrative structures. Romania has made intensive use of the programme as well, in particular to drive ahead the establishment of its regional environmental protection agencies. Germany supported both countries intensively in the environmental field as they prepared for EU accession with a total of 26 projects on a broad range of issues and has continued to provide this support following their accession as well.

Developments in Twinning among the EU accession candidates

As countries with official candidate status, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Turkey are currently preparing for accession to the EU. Croatia will join the EU on 1 July 2013. Among these states, the Federal Environment Ministry has so far been focussing its activities on Turkey, which still has a great deal to do in terms of building up the capacities necessary for the effective administration of the environmental sector. In this respect, work has been undertaken on the introduction of regulated waste disposal structures, the improvement of air quality control, noise protection and the protection of the abundant natural resources the country possesses. Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia too are now increasingly looking to the Twinning instrument to help them adapt to EU standards. For instance, Germany’s first project with Croatia contributed to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The Federal Environment Ministry has now concluded two Twinning projects with Serbia, which was already a German partner under the auspices of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River. One of these projects addressed the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the other was designed to strengthen administrative capacities for the implementation of air quality management. Another project to support the implementation of a management system for chemicals is currently being conducted.

Twinning and the EU’s new Neighbourhood Policy

Originally conceived of as an instrument that would guide new Members into the EU, Twinning has in the mean time developed into an institution building instrument that is also applicable outside the immediate context of the accession process. Within the framework laid down by the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI), the application of Twinning has been gradually extended to the EU’s eastern neighbours and the Mediterranean Region since 2007. Eastward enlargement has seen the focus of attention shift much more to the EU’s ‘new neighbours’. Especially when transfrontier environmental impacts are at stake, it is important to create opportunities for cooperation between EU Members and non-EU Members, and to support neighbouring states in building up the capacities this demands. The Twinning project undertaken by the Federal Environment Ministry with Ukraine in 2003 also served this purpose. The implementation of the first waste management projects with Egypt began at the end of 2008. At present, preparations are being made for the BMU’s first Twinning project in the Southern Caucasus – the aim of which is to provide support to the Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection as it introduces an IPPC system.

Why Twinning?

14 years of experience of Twinning projects in the environmental sector have shown that the commitment they demand is worthwhile for both sides. German administrative experts who possess an intimate knowledge of what it takes to implement European legislation, and can draw on varied experience of organising and reforming administrative bodies at different levels are able to offer many insights to their colleagues in the partner countries, especially into fields of everyday administrative activity that are often not covered by classical technical assistance. Daily cooperation on these projects fosters long-term partnerships with the country in question that also strengthen bilateral contacts outside the Twinning project, and can create channels of communication for cooperation on other fields of policy and economic issues. This holds out opportunities for Germany to make targeted contributions to environmentally friendly development in the accession states and the EU’s new neighbours.

EU Twinning projects with German involvement in the environmental sector
(ongoing and in preparation)

EU Twinning projects with German involvement in the environmental sector since 1998
(concluded)