|
|
 |
|
N°34
July
2005
|
| 
|
 La
Lettre de l'Institut des Sciences et des Techniques de l'Equipement
et de l'Environnement pour le Développement.
Editorial
Institutional twinning projects: tools for building an extended Europe
The institutional
twinning projects organized by the European Union provide an excellent
means of disseminating French know-how and expertise relating to the community
acquis in the transport sector. The stakes are high: for the future EU
Member States, more protective legislation and the need to ensure standards
are met; for EU neighbour States (in the Balkans, the CIS and the Mediterranean
basin), more efficient administration and more modern transport infrastructure.
France does not lack strength in these areas and twinning projects are
a significant means of disseminating our know-how and therefore extending
our influence. Twinning projects are therefore one of the priority measures
identified in the DAEI European and International Action Plan for 2003-2005.
The DAEI acts with the support of the General Council for Highways and
Civil Engineering and the various sectoral directorates to present bids
when calls for applicants are issued. Between 1998 and 2004, the Ministry
of Transport, Public Works, Tourism and the Sea has won 11 twinning projects.
These may cover the entire transport sector or target more specific types
of transport such as the road, the sea, inland waterways or rail. Increasingly,
twinning projects are proposed in partnership with other Member States,
allowing the Applicant State to benefit from a greater diversity of expertise.
The DAEI has created a database in order assist the applications which
may be made by the various actors, in particular the project leaders,
who are responsible or putting together the French proposal and monitoring
the project, the resident advisors, who will be placed in the administrations
of the countries in question for one or two years in order to provide
their expertise and handle the logistical aspects of the project, and
the short term experts who will provide their technical or legal know-how
in the context of short-term missions on highly specialized topics. The
DAEI has asked ISTED, a body with official European Union approval, to
act as the operator, i.e. drafting the twinning agreement and performing
the administrative and financial monitoring of the projects until their
completion.
French experience is today recognised, but needs constant improvement
because of increasing competition from other Member States who also wish
to win the tenders. In order to be prepared for the next twinning projects,
the DAEI, with its partners, is very keen to mobilize all the Ministry's
forces in order to maintain or increase our presence and influence in
the future Europe and with our neighbours.
Dominique
BUREAU,
Head of the Directorate of International Economic Affairs (DAEI),
Ministry of Transport, Public Works, Tourism and the Sea
Contents
-
Institutional
twinning projects: tools for building an extended Europe
-
Feature:
Institutional twinning projects. Institutional twinning is an initiative
of the European Commission that was launched in 1998. It was designed
as an instrument of administrative cooperation aimed at helping
candidate countries strengthen their administrative and judicial
capacities in order to be able to apply community legislation as
future member States of the Union.
France's involvement is particularly active, with 180 twinning projects
between 1998 and 2004, about 10 of which involved the transport
sector.
-
Information Update : News-Events-Training
sessions-Publications
Return
to the last issue
Contact
Anne BARON
Head of Communication Departement
La Grande Arche, Paroi Nord
92055 Paris La Défense Cedex
Tél. : 33 (0)1 40 81 24 06
Fax : 33 (0)1 40 81 23 31
Mél. : anne.baron@i-carre.net
|
