Ambassade Zagreb (NL) - EU Accession

EU Accession

The Netherlands Governement has always actively promoted the enlargement of the European Union. Since the fall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe it has underlined its commitment with bilateral Pre Accession assistance programmes. The ten new member states and current candidate member states have benefited from this assistance in numerous projects [ link]

In the same tradition the Netherlands is a committed partner to Croatia in its accession to the European Union. Since Croatia acquired candidate membership status the Netherlands actively supports Croatia with its government to governement Pre Accession assistance programmes:

MATRA for European Cooperation and Government to Government programmes (MPAP and G2G).

The programmes aim to assist Croatia in its process to adapt to EU requirements, adopt and implement the Acquis Communautaire. It finances a wide range of activities such as technical assistance projects [ link], visits, seminars, training courses on EU subjects for civil servants and academic Master courses. In 2005 and 2006 12 projects were selected and are currently in execution. The total value of these projects is € 3.625.000. In 2007 additional 7 projects have been approved and starting with implementation at the beginning of 2008.

This year deadlines for submission of proposals to the National Coordinator of MPAP & G2G is 1st of March 2008. Interested departments should contact the National Coordinator or the Embassy for information on how to apply and deadlines. Projects that only consist of a training, seminar or work visit and lasting less than a year can be submitted throughout the year, no deadline (MATRA flex, PPA short).

Based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the Dutch and Croatian Governments technical assistance is provided by the Netherlands government in projects lasting up to two years. Project proposals can be submitted by Croatian Government offices, agencies or institutes to the National Coordinator.

The EVD agency in the Netherlands is responsible for the further definition of the project and selection of the right implementing partners from the Netherlands to provide the required assistance.

This Technical Assistance is given through the following programmes:

MATRA Pre-Accession (MPAP)
MATRA flex
G2G NL Programme including Environmental Facility

G2G NL Short Programme including Environmental Facility

For example projects search the database from the EVD

For information contact the National Coordinator (Government Office for Development Strategy and Coordination of EU Funs) http://www.strategija.hr:
Marko Zabojec E-mail: marko.zabojec@strategija.hr

Or in the Embassy
Mrs. Zrinka Cornij
Tel: 00385 1 46 42 233
E-mail: zrinka.cornij@minbuza.nl

MTEC Courses

MTEC consists of two different types of training:
• Postgraduate Masters Degree programmes in areas of Good Governance (duration 12 – 18 months).
• Short training courses on pre- and post-accession related issues, particularly concerning the preparation and finalisation of EU-accession (duration: 2-3 weeks). The objectives of the training courses will be to train public administrators and senior officials on matters relevant to joining the EU or, for the new member states, to become fully integrated in the political framework of the EU. Another important objective of the courses is the creation of networks by bringing together people from the fore-mentioned countries in the Netherlands.

Each course consists of three components:
• A theoretical component based on the (European) legislation;
• A practical component aimed at developing skills (e.g. project-cycle management, SWOT-analysis, drafting policy papers, presentation techniques);
• Site-visits.

MTEC Course programme 2008

Course	Organiser	Dates	Application Deadline
Animal Health	T.b.a.	To be determined
Structural Funds/IPA	ECORYS	19th - 30th of May
How to operate in Brussels	Clingendael	16th - 27th of June
How to co-operate with Brussels	Clingendael	17th - 28th of November
IPA/Environment	ECORYS	2nd - 13th of June
EU Agricultural Policy	WBS	6th - 17th of October
Administration of Justice	EVD	To be determined
Applied Public Health	NSPOH	To be determined
Flood Risk Managementand the Water Framework Directive	ECORYS	6th - 17th of October
Public Finance Management	T.b.a.	To be determined

In 2008 all training courses are open for applicants from the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey. The Eastern and Southern neighbours of the enlarged European Union (Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Morocco and Jordan). The organisers of these courses will be appointed after a tender. You will be informed about the definitive dates asap. Changes in this programme are possible.

More information on the MTEC Training courses can be found on the website of http://www.cross-agency.nl/index.php?la=en&page=3&page_num=4.

MTEC Academic Programme 2008

Public Administration

University of Twente: http://pa.graduate.utwente.nl/

one-year master programme

Application deadline: 1st of July 2008

European Studies

Maastricht University: www.fdcw.unimaas.nl/mtec/

one-year master programme

Application deadline: 1st of April 2008

Public Health

Maastricht University: www.unimaas.nl/fhml/masters

one-year master programme

Application deadline: 1st of May2008

International and European Law

The organising university (and the application deadline) will be announced in the second half of March 2008.

The MTEC scholarships are intended for promising students and young civil servants. In 2008 the programmes are open for applicants from the following countries: Albania (to be confirmed), Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina (to be confirmed), Bulgaria, Croatia, Jordan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

More information on the MTEC Academic programmes can be found on the website of CROSS

Participants
To be eligible for the training courses you must work for a government department or agency, or an organisation related to the government. In exceptional cases, representatives from the private sector or from NGO's can apply, as long as their participation serves the accession, and European integration process, or the bilateral relations with the Netherlands. All participants should have an excellent working knowledge of the English language. The maximum number of participants per course is 50. As the courses are interactive, the participants will be divided over subgroups.

Costs The MTEC scholarship covers tuition fee, study materials, housing, subsistence, travel to and from the home country, a personal development programme and a social programme.

Application procedure The MTEC courses are promoted by the Royal Netherlands Embassy. In the fore-mentioned countries through the national European co-ordination unit and the relevant ministries. For detailed information on the various courses you are referred to the separate information booklets on each course. As soon as the application procedure for the course begins, you can find these booklets and the application form on Downloads-page of the CROSS. Candidates should apply through the website (see Downloads) and consecutively send their printed and duly completed (signed by the applicant and the employer) application form to the Royal Netherlands Embassy before the deadline. Please note that a statement from the candidates' employer is necessary. Applicants who have been accepted for the course are expected to duly attend. In case of no - shows or (too) late cancellations (i.e.) within three weeks before the course commences) the course organiser has the right to claim all costs incurred from the candidate’s employer.
The application instructions need to be followed carefully. The Embassies will pass the applications on to Bureau CROSS. Admission is on a competitive basis.

For more information on application procedures contact the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration
Ms Tatjana Corlija
website: http://www.mvpei.hr
E-mail: tatjana.corlija@mvpei.hr