Special Preparatory Programme: Building Implementation Capacity for Structural Funds

27/10/2004 - Prague, 27 October 2004 - The Phare Twinning Project “Building Implementation Capacity CSF & JROP” has reached its successful conclusion. Over 14 months, bridging the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU, the Italian, Scottish and Czech partners have worked together to enhance capacity and fine tune procedures for the implementation of the Structural Funds in the Czech Republic. The project worth nearly CZK 40 million (€ 1.164.000) was financed by the European Union under its National Phare programme.

The twinning project aimed at improving the administrative and implementation capacity of the Managing Authority for both the Community Support Framework (which coordinates the full range of Structural Funds interventions in the Czech Republic under EU structural and cohesion policy) and the Joint Regional Operational Programme (one of the largest of the Operational Programmes co-financed by European funds in the Czech Republic). The assistance covered the full range of tasks related to SF, from programming to management, monitoring and evaluation. Through an interactive approach, remarkable progress has been achieved in development of structures, skills and methodological tools, and producing manuals and guidelines. Resources made available by the European Union Phare programme through the Twinning project were dedicated to activities carried out to assist the central and regional Czech administration.

Throughout the project, two Resident Twinning Advisers have provided assistance to the CSF and JROP Managing Authorities. They have been assisted by Italian experts from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Formez, the Basilicata and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and by the Scottish national administration and the East of Scotland European Partnership. On top of the RTAs input, these experts have provided a total of 526 man-days of technical assistance and training activities in the CR.
The achievements of the project were presented at the final conference held on 27 October 2004 at the Italian Institute of Culture in Prague.
The Italian Resident Twinning Advisor responsible for part of the project and for its overall coordination, Mr Stefano Barbieri, commented: “The twinning project has provided an excellent example of co-operation between national administrations, and in doing so has helped to achieve the objectives of structural policy of the EU.”