What a Twinning Project is

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What a Twinning Project is

Twinning is an initiative of the European Commission that was launched in the context of the preparation for enlargement of the European Union . Twinning was first introduced, in 1998 in the 12 countries of the 5th Enlargement. In the Western Balkans Twinning was launched in the summer of 2002 for certain Institution Building programmes, mainly in Justice and Home Affairs. It is now available regardless of the specific sector in the context of the Instrument for Pre-accession.

Twinning remains today a crucial Institution building instrument in the candidate countries (Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey), in the potential candidate countries in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia).

As from the end of 2003, Twinning has been made available to some of the countries covered by the programme for Newly Independent States (NIS) where Partnership and Cooperation Agreements are signed between the Newly Independent States and the EU. Armenia is included in this group of States and the EU-Armenia Action plan has been signed on 2006, based in the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement. Twinning is introduced as an Institution Building co-operation instrument in this context.

With 2009 data, since 1998 more than 1500 Twinning projects have been implemented in and financed under the various pre-accession and neighbourhood instruments.

Twinning is conceived as an instrument for targeted administrative co-operation to assist Beneficiary Countries to strengthen their administrative and judicial capacity to implement Community legislation as future Member States of the European Union. Twinning projects have been conceived as a system for transfer of expertise from an Administration by the secondment of personnel in both ways. It is not a one-way delivery of technical assistance from a Member State to a Beneficiary Country. It is a joint process, in which each partner takes on responsibilities. The BC commits itself to undertaking and funding reforms, the MS to accompanying the process for the duration of the project.

Some basic principles must be present in each Twinning program, The beneficiary country selects its Member State partner, who undertake to transfer the requested hands-on public sector expertise available in its home administration. The most important is that Twinning projects must bring to the Beneficiary a concrete operational result (the so called mandatory result) in connection with the EU acquis or other EU policies open for co-operation and that The Twinning partners commit themselves to achieving the mandatory result, and not only to the means to achieve it. At the end of the project a new or adapted system must function under the sole responsibility and ownership of the Beneficiary country. As result of this, the achievements of a Twinning project should be maintained as a permanent asset to the Beneficiary administration even after the end of the Twinning project implementation. This presupposes inter alia that effective mechanisms are put in place by the Beneficiary administration to disseminate and consolidate the results of the project.

What Aviation Safety Twinning project is

Overall Objective: The overall objective of the project is to achieve the harmonisation and enforcement of all Joint Aviation Requirements (JARS) or replacing European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) rules in the Armenian legislation and context in order to prepare for the full integration of Armenia into the European safety system including the cooperation and participation with EASA

Project Purpose: The project purpose is to strengthen the capacity of the General Department of Civil Aviation (GDCA) of the Government of the Republic of Armenia (RA) in the application and implementation of JARs, or replacing EASA rules.

Scope: This project is oriented to Civil Aviation Safety but only in the fields that are currently under the scope of EASA and JAA rules. This includes airworthiness, flight operations and licensing in a wide sense.

Mandatory Results: At the completion of the project the Working Arrangement between EASA and GDCA signed 7 July 2009 will be implemented by the GDCA and accepted by EASA

All necessary JARs or replacing EASA rules are transposed and understood and correctly applied by the GDCA through the use of developed guidance tools such as manuals, check lists, test methods, inspection processes and procedures, interview techniques, use of data bases, etc.
Effective implementation and enforcement of safety oversight mechanisms as set out in the JARs or replacing EASA rules.
Clear designation of authorisations and responsibilities for the implementation of JARs or replacing EASA rules into the future.
Adequate arrangements are in place for the acceptance and distribution of JARs or replacing EASA rules amendments and for the up to date maintenance of all JAR manuals or EASA guidelines for CAAs.

The project should also build up a strong working relationship with EASA such that Armenia will open the way to move towards integration in EASA system. Further, the project activities should enable the country to progressively adopt the EU Acquis with respect to aviation.

Components: To achieve the mandatory results the project has been structured in 5 components from 0 to 4:

Component 0: Twinning Project Management
Component 1: Assessment & Analysis of the current situation: vital to address the following activities in the right way.
Component 02: Implementation of EU Aviation Safety Regulations and on-the-job training: the central part of the program
Component 03: Research on economic regulations affecting air transport and strategic issues: oriented to improve the capacity of the GDCA to face future challenges.
Component 04: Information Systems: oriented to make GDCA more efficient using new technologies.

Activities: Different components are divided in activities. Those activities include:

Visits of Spanish experts to evaluate situation and make proposals, working jointly with Armenian experts
Workshops organized in Armenia in which Spanish and Armenian experts will share experience on rules implementation.
Study visits from Armenian experts to Spain, to know the actual implementation of different rules in Spain
Secondments of Armenian experts in Spain and of Spanish experts in Armenia. The seconded experts will work in the receiver administration jointly with local experts with the aim of know more in day to day implementation of regulation

Benefits: Safety and economics benefits can be obtained with integration in EASA system. A systematic up to date on aviation safety regulation is promoted on EASA system, and one of wider and most actives aviation related activities market could be opened to Armenia.

Some figures:

Budget: 1.100.000 EUR

Duration: 24 months

Number of Spanish experts: 40 short term advisors Number of workshops: 26

Number of activities: 65

Number of Armenian people travelling to Spain: 19

Partner:

General Department of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Armenia

Member State Partner:

Spanish Aviation Safety Agency

Ministry of Public Works and Transportation

Twinning Project Partners: