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Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic - Home
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  1. MFSR
  2. European and International Affairs
  3. Financial Relations with EU

MF SR Projects Supported by EU

Transition Facility Projects at MF SR

Based on the Accession Treaty, in 2004 the PHARE programme was substituted by the Transition Facility for 2004-2006 aiming to provide the new Member States with assistance in strengthening administrative and institutional capacities and implementing the EC legislation in areas which cannot be financed by Structural Funds. Countries authorised to implement funds from the Transition Facility Programme included Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, and later also Bulgaria and Romania.

The implementation of Transition Facility projects was concluded by the end of 2009.

The budget of the Transition Facility for the Slovak Republic totals EUR 15.7 million for 2004, EUR 10 million for 2005 and EUR 5 million for 2006.

For more information about the Transition Facility Programme, visit the European Commission website:
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/policy/glossary/terms/transition-facility_en.htm

PHARE Projects Executed under MF SR Auspices

PHARE

The PHARE programme was created in December 1989 based on a decision of the EU Council of Ministers to promote economic and political changes in Poland and Hungary. Gradually, it was expanded to cover more countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The programme went through many changes, and step by step, it was transformed from an instrument promoting economic transformation in post-socialist countries to an instrument preparing the Central European candidate countries for EU membership. To this end, it focused on the two most important priorities in adopting the acquis communautaire (general EU rules binding on all Member States), i.e. on building institutions and promoting investment.

The last Financial Memorandum for the 2003 PHARE programme in Slovakia was signed on 3 November 2003 and projects implementation terminated in 2006. 

All Slovakia’s Financing Memoranda and projects funded by the European Commission in 1998-2006 from both PHARE and Transition Facility funds can be found at the following EC website:
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/instruments/former-assistance/phare/index_en.htm

Twinning

The Twinning Programme was initiated by the European Commission to help candidate, potential candidate or third countries neighbouring the EU obtain the ability to independently adopt, implement and/ or fully apply the acquis communautaire prior to EU accession. This initiative is about cooperation between institutions and experts of two (more in case of consortia) partner countries, a beneficiary country and an EU Member State(s). The Member State appoints a resident twinning advisor who is seconded to work in the beneficiary administration.

Twinning light projects focus on small-scale activities in the area of institution building without the assistance of a resident twinning advisor is not essential. Twinning light projects are to supplement or accomplish activities in those areas that were not finalised in preceding (pre-accession) assistance projects.

How to Apply for Twinning Projects in Other Countries

Since its accession to the EU on 1 May 2004, Slovakia can now participate in implementing twinning projects under EU programmes not only as a recipient but also as a twinning partner, making use of an expertise acquired during the accession period.

Basic requirements applicable to applicants for project implementation

Participation in project implementation is based on the procedures and rules listed in the Twinning Manual issued by the European Commission.

For project where the notification on twinning partner selection was sent after 1st April 2012, the 2012 version of the Twinning Manual is valid.

The procedure for Member States (including Slovakia) to submit proposals is described in Chapter 3 (twinning projects) and Chapter 8.4. (twinning light projects).

Twinning Manual 2012
[pdf, 520 kB]

Annexes to Twinning Manual 2012
[pdf, 743 kB]

  • Proposals for a twinning project, e.g. for a twinning partner from an EU Member State, may be prepared only by state or public institutions.
  • A state administration institution is automatically eligible to become a twinning partner.
  • Other public entities are required to request accreditation by the European Commission before actually applying for project implementation. Accreditation requirements are described in the Twinning Manual (Section 3.3).
  • The accredited institutions are published on the List of Mandated Bodies  that  is regularly being updated by the EC.

How to Apply for Twinning Projects

Twinning projects are typically implemented by the central government institution of an EU Member State (here Slovakia) and consist in providing necessary services to a recipient country. The civil servants of a given government body of the Member State (resident twinning advisor, medium-term and short-term experts) participate in missions during which they fulfil certain tasks and elaborate documents and other materials requested by the twinning partner of the recipient country as laid down in the Project Fiche/Annex C1 to the Twinning Manual. All costs associated with the sojourn, travel and remuneration of the twinning adviser and experts as well as the compensation of the employer institution are paid from funds allocated for he project from the EU funds. If interested in helping implement a project as a twinning partner, one should elaborate a project proposal in accordance with the Twinning Manual/Annex C2 to the Twinning Manual and submit it in time to meet the relevant deadline.

As provided for in the Twinning Manual and Annexes to the Twinning Manual, the proposal should at the very least cover the following:

  • Methods of project implementation elaborated using the Project Fiche, a strategy to ensure project mandatory results as well as the benefits the recipient is likely to receive as a result of suggested cooperation (comparative advantage);
  • An indication of how the Member State’s system that is offered may be relevant to the recipient;
  • The CV of the suggested Project Leader who will be responsible for project coordination and of the Resident Twinning Adviser in an approved format – Europass (RTA is required only for twinning, but not for twinning light projects).

Institutions subordinated to the MF SR considering participation in a twinning project are not required to cover all activities defined in the Project Fiche. Proposals for the implementation of twinning (TW) or twinning light (TWL) projects may be submitted:

  • by institutions acting alone (TW, TWL);
  • in cooperation with other institutions (or their experts) in Slovakia (TW, TWL);
  • in cooperation with experts from other EU Member States who will be working under the Project Leader of the country submitting the project proposal (here Slovakia) (TW, TWL);
  • as part of a consortium set up jointly with an institution(s) of another EU Member State (either a state administration institution or one listed on the List of Mandated Bodies) either as a senior partner or junior partner (only TW).

Differences between twinning light and twinning projects

Twinning light (simplified twinning) projects focus on small-scale activities in the area of institution building where the assistance of a Resident Twinning Advisor is not essential. Twinning light schemes envisage several short-term expert missions lasting up to 6 months (exceptionally 8 months) and a total budget of up to EUR 250,000. All costs associated with the sojourn, travel and remuneration of experts and the compensation of the employer institution are paid from funds allocated to the EU programmes approved in Brussels for the given project.

If interested in helping implement a project as a twinning light partner, one should elaborate a project proposal in accordance with the Twinning Manual and submit it in time to meet the relevant deadline.

As provided for in Section 8.4.2 of the Twinning Manual, the proposal should at the very least feature the following:

  • name of the suggested Project Leader who will be responsible for project coordination (this may be the expert directly involved in project implementation in the recipient country);
  • CVs of the suggested experts focusing on the requirements listed in the Project Fiche and the areas they will be dealing with during project implementation;
  • financial budget in accordance with the Twinning Manual.

Twinning light proposals should be self-sufficient implementation proposals (without the option of setting up a consortium with another Member State) from one Member State, even though the proposal may include experts from other EU Member States who will be working under the Project Leader from the country submitting the project proposal. Proposals may be elaborated in cooperation with other Slovak institutions dealing with a particular problem area and include experts from those institutions.

More information

All important information about twinning through pre-accession assistance, assistance to countries neighbouring the EU or to developing countries is available on the EU websites (DG AIDCO, DG ELARG) and on the website of the Slovak Government Office that fulfills the role of the National Contact Point for Twinning.

MF SR Contact Point

Mário Virčík
Senior Programme Officer
mario.vircik@mfsr.sk

Lucia Zimanyiová
Deputy Senior Programme Officer
lucia.zimanyiova@mfsr.sk
+421 2 5958 3330