Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX)

Period: 1996-

Budget: NA (Technical assistance is provided free of charge upon the approval of the request by the TAIEX Head Office)

The aim of TAIEX is to provide to the New Member States, acceding countries, candidate countries, and the administrations of the Western Balkans, short-term technical assistance, in line with the overall policy objectives of the European Commission, and in the field of approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation. Assistance is also provided to those countries included in the EU's European Neighbourhood Policy, as well as Russia.

The main objectives of TAIEX are defined as:

• To provide technical assistance and advice on the transposition of the acquis communautaire into the national legislation of beneficiary countries and on the subsequent administration, implementation and enforcement of such legislation.

• To provide technical training and peer assistance to the officials of the administrations of the 10 New Member States who remain beneficiaries of TAIEX assistance

• To provide programmed technical assistance to the countries of the Western Balkans

• To be an information broker by gathering and making available information on the Community Acquis

• To provide database tools for facilitating and monitoring the approximation progress as well as to identify further technical assistance needs.

The following countries are eligible for funding under TAIEX:

• Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia Bulgaria, Romania

• Republic of Croatia, Republic of Macedonia and Turkey

• Turkish Cypriot Community in the northern part of Cyprus

• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Albania, Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo (as defined in UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999)

• Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

• Russia

The main areas covered by TAEIX:

• Agriculture - veterinary and phytosanitary legislation and rural development etc

• Freedom, Liberty and Security - judicial co-operation in criminal &law latters, organised crime, fight against money-laudering, human traffcking, environmenal crime, vehicle crime, asylum and migration issues etc

• Internal market - customs, public procurement, state aids, social policy, patent, trade markets, health and saftey in workplaces etc

• Transport, Energy and Environmental Sectors - maritime and aviation saftey, energy data management, waste package rules and noise legislation, environmental liability, road transport, groundwater medelling etc

The following bodies make up the target group for funding under TAIEX:

• Civil servants working in public administrations

• Civil servants working in administrations at sub-national level and in associations of local authorities

• Members of Parliaments and civil servants working in Parliaments and Legislative Councils

• Professional and commercial associations representing social partners, as well as representatives of trade unions and employers� associations

• Judiciary and Law Enforcement authorities

• Interpreters, revisers and translators of legislative texts.

Types of assistance under TAIEX include:

1. Experts sent to a beneficiary country

2. Study visits to understand how Member States deal with practical issues

3. Seminars and Workshops to present and explain issues

4. Training to provide necessary technical skills

5. Monitoring and analysis of progress

6. Database and information products

7. Translation

TAIEX's Official website