Representative of the European Commission and Twinning Coordinator responsible for IPA beneficiary countries in the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), Mr Cristophe Casillas, visited the Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes (Contracting Authority) last week.

On the first day of the visit a training was organised on Twinning contracts which was attended by the Department employees and representatives of IPA units.
On the second day meetings were held in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and Commissariat for Refugees in which current issues related to the improvement of implementation of twinning contracts “Establishment of Mechanism for Implemenation of MMR“ and “Support to National Asylum System in Republic of Serbia“ were discussed.

Twinning is an instrument for institutions capacity building. It was developed by the European Commission and it is based on partner cooperation between public administrations of EU candidates and beneficiary country in order to achieve the results agreed together with the European Commission. As a result of every twinning project beneficiary country should get significantly improved organisation which will enable it to adequately meet its objectives in relation to acquis communautaire or relevant field of cooperation with EU.
Since the beginning of decentralised management of EU funds in the Republic of Serbia 12 twinning contracts are being successfully implemented.