Twinning: EU support for administrative development in partner countries

Twinning projects are funded by the European Union to support institution-building and the approximation of national laws in partner countries. They can be implemented by public administration bodies of EU Member States or other public entities authorised by the European Commission. The calls for proposals for Twinning projects are also published on the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Twinning projects

Funded by the European Commission, Twinning is an initiative for strengthening economic and social stability and the development of the rule of law and democracy in EU partner countries through joint projects. It is designed to enhance partner countries’ administrative capacity, institutions and expertise and to support legislative reforms and promote social development and stability.

Twinning activities are based on the specific needs of each partner country. Public authorities in EU Member States pledge to share best practices and expertise with public-service actors in partner countries in a collaborative relationship on an equal footing.

Project implementers

Twinning projects are implemented across different administrative branches by public administration bodies of the EU Member States or by other public entities authorised by the European Commission. A list of Twinning actors with a permanent mandate from the EU Member States is available on the Commission website. Projects may be joined independently or in collaboration with another Member State.

Beneficiaries of Twinning projects

Twinning partnerships are established with partner countries and regions covered by the following DGs of the European Commission:

  • Directorate General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST)
  • Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA)
  • Directorate General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA)

Project duration and budget

Full-scale Twinning projects typically last from one to three years, whereas Twinning Light projects, which impose a lower administrative burden, may last for a maximum of eight months. The budgets for Twinning projects range from approximately EUR 1 to 4 million, and the budget for Twinning Light projects may not exceed EUR 250,000.

Calls for proposals and competitive tendering

Implementers for Twinning project are selected through a competitive tendering process open to all EU Member States.

The process has two stages: submitting a written proposal and presenting it at a selection meeting in the partner country. The partner country will then select the implementer for the project on the basis of the competitive tendering. The budget of Twinning projects being pre-defined, tenders compete on the quality of expertise rather than price. Finnish government agencies and public bodies have been successful in Twinning projects. Open calls for proposals are listed on the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs by country and by topic. Upcoming calls for tenders can be consulted beforehand on the Pipeline on Twinning projects list on the Commission website.

Twinning guidelines

The instructions regulating the projects are contained in the Twinning Manual and its annexes, drawn up by the Commission. A revised Twinning Manual was published in June 2017, and its latest version (Twinning Manual revision 2017 - Update 2022 (PDF)) is dated September 2022. It applies to Twinning grants awarded following calls for proposals published after 1 September 2022 and even to projects launched earlier as appropriate.

Finnish implementers must also comply with the Ministry of Finance’s guidelines on the participation of public officials in Twinning activities (PDF).

Added value for Finnish public administration

Twinning was launched in 1998, and Finland has been active in the projects from the very beginning. Finland is committed to Twinning activities as part of the cooperation and development work under the EU’s external relations action. Twinning is also a concrete tool for advancing Finland’s foreign policy objectives. The projects allow Finland to enhance its global impact and they support the implementation of its Government Programme, including Finland’s Africa Strategy and goals for EU enlargement.

By participating in Twinning projects, Finland can take advantage of EU funding offered by the Commission. Implemented across the different administrative branches, the projects are well-suited for exporting Finnish public-sector expertise. Finnish authorities are constantly involved in implementing numerous projects worldwide. Through Twinning, Finnish government agencies and public administration bodies can build valuable international networks, promote their own global visibility and foster concrete cooperation with partner countries.

In addition to promoting Finnish expertise and good governance and sharing best practices, Twinning is an investment in the competence of the participating organisations. It also serves as an incentive for human resources development and for taking stock of international experience. Moreover, Twinning offers an opportunity for the participating agencies to turn their ideas and practices into products and to promote commercial cooperation.