TAIEX Projects
TAIEX is the Technical Assistance and Informational Exchange instrument of the European Commission, managed by the General Directorate Enlargement of the European Commission. TAIEX supports partner - countries focusing on the the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation. It is largely demanded and facilitates the delivery of an appropriate tailor-made expertise to address issues at short notice.
The Projects are organized by the European Commission´s DG Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations within the framework of the TAIEX Instrument.
AIPA has been supportedby the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX) to improve and consolidate thecapacity building of AIPA for the application of EU norms and standards for the subsidies’ administration.
Training workshop on Establishment and improvement of internal control activities: Prevention and detection of artificially created conditions in rural development
Date: 23-24 September 2019, Chisinau, Moldova.
Partners: The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania;
Bulgarian State Agricultural Found – Paying Agency;
The purpose of the training workshop was to ease the implementation of the support in the agricultural area in the Republic of Moldova by subsidizing and learning out of the practices from other EU Paying Agencies.
It laid out the overview of the creation of artificial conditions for financing, the identification of risk areas and red flags, the design of control steps and the internal organization to prevent and detect artificially created conditions. Description of the procedures and tools used to identify risk areas - where conflicts of interests are most common in the management of agricultural funds.
The workshop provided examples of real cases, in order to help to explain the situation of a "conflict of interests" and raise awareness among the its members.
Study visit on Data collection and processing in the electronic system of reference prices in EU Member States.
Date: 03-07 June 2019, Vilnius, Lithuania
Partners: National Paying Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania.
AIPA carried out a study visit to accumulate the best practices applied in Lithuania in subsidy process of calculation, collecting and applying benchmark prices, which can be used within the Agency.
The main objectives of the study were to identify the data collection and processing methods in information systems used within EU Members States, to familiarize with the electronic system and registers used to calculate reference prices, to study the normative basis applied within the EU countries and to accumulate experience by viewing practical examples used in National Paying Agency in Lithuania.
Study Visit on Evaluation of the Plan for Identifying Producers Groups
Date: 07-10 May 2018, Rome, Italy.
Partners: Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies – MiPAAF
The purpose of the study visit was to get familiar with EU Member States experience concerning the evaluation of plans for recognizing producers’ groups:
- namely the methods for calculating the value of marketed production and the conditions for recognizing these groups,
- visiting the producer groups and getting acquainted with their operating mechanisms and principles.
The study visit offered the possibility to acquire a set of knowledges and abilities concerning the organisation, functioning, evaluation and monitoring of producers groups, and got an overview of the EU legal framework and good practices for funding and fostering the promotion, marketing and capitalization of own production groups, while adapting to the requirement of the foreign markets.
The event also had served as an occasion to meet operators form different production groups and sectors.
Study visit on Application of Reference Prices to Calculate Subsidies
Date: 12-16 March 2018, Zagreb, Croatia.
Partners: Croatian Agricultural Paying Agency for Agriculture Fisheries and Rural Development.
The delegation of Moldavian Agricultural Intervention and Payments Agency (AIPA) carried out a study visit to get acquainted with the complete system of working in the Analysis Service, from the collection of prices from different sources to subscriptions, the base of reference prices for the construction equipment and services.
The AIPA staff obtained knowledge on the application of the reference prices for the calculation of grants, used by the Agricultural, Fisheries and Rural Development Paying Agency (PAAFRD) in Zagreb, Croatia.
Expert Mission on the Way of Settling Contentious Administrative Disputes with a Paying Agency for Agriculture
Date: 20-24 March 2017, Chisinau, Moldova.
Partners: National Paying Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania.
The aim of the expert mission was to provide to AIPA’s officials the information and practical examples of setting administrative contentious and legislative disputes within the EU Paying Agency, with a special attention on extrajudicial and judicial settlement of litigation.
Study Visit on Transition to Pre-Investment Payment System for Rural Development Measures
Date: 07-09 December 2016, Zagreb, Croatia.
Partners: Croatian Paying Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development.
The main goal of the study visit was to provide the knowledge and understanding on what AIPA’s experts should pay attention to, during the establishment and implementation of pre-financing payment system according to the EU practice.
During the study visit, participants had got familiar with the complete process of implementation: administrative procedures and controls, on-the-spot control before financing, payment approval, accounting internal audit and dealing with irregularities.
Expert Mission regarding on the-spot-control System
Date: 24-28 October 2016, Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova.
Partners: Croatian Paying Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development.
The objective of the expert mission was to strengthen the knowledge of on-the –spot controllers for on-the-spot checks concerning subsidized investment projects in agriculture (stages, processes and methods of verification).
The expert mission was focused on the key requirements regarding controlling and reporting for one-the-spot about different types and criteria of the controls, as the following:
- before contracting and payments;
- of accounting records and business books;
- of new and “second” equipment;
- monitoring and supervision of controls;
- EU audits and system of financial corrections;
- Irregularities and anti-fraud policy.
The expert mission, through exchange of experiences, has sought to improve the quality of services provided by the AIPA regarding the agricultural producers. The range of experience also sought to increase the efficiency of the subsidizing process for the efficient allocation of financial resources to support agricultural producers.
Study visit on Management of Direct Payment Schemes
Date: 12-15 September 2016, Tartu, Estonia
Partners: Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB).
The aim of study visit was to learn about the role of Direct Payments in supporting agriculture and to get acquainted with the process of administration and implementation of the direct support schemes. The study visit presented the implementation process and mechanisms of EU Direct Payment Schemes in Estonia. In particular, the study visit has highlighted the aspects of the legal basis, institutional framework, principles and most efficient methods for granting subsidies.
Study visit on Strengthening the Area Related payments Control System
Date: 14-16 June 2016, Jonkopin, Sweden
Partners: Swedish board of Agriculture (SBA).
The study visit provided the opportunity for further analysis on control system for the area related to the payments, in accordance with the EU rules, and on the control procedures of the area related to the payments.
Study visit on Internal Audit Service of the Agricultural Paying Agency
Date 28-01 April 2016, Zagreb, Croatia
Partners: Croatian Paying Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development.
The objectives of the study visit were to improve AIPA’s institutional capacity through the exchange of experience on how to increase the prudence of the Agricultural Paying Agency’s activity by establishing internal control system, aligning internal audit working procedures to international standards, taking over good practices for the proper functioning of the internal audit services, including structure, function and basic tasks, its place within the structure of a Paying Agency, emphasizing the importance of the internal audit during the control, assessment of working relations of the internal auditor and organizing methods, manage and perform the evaluation quality of internal audit.
Workshop on Integrated Administration and Control System, Fraud prevention and Conflict of Interests within a Paying Agency
Date 17-18 March 2016, Chisinau, Moldova
Partners: Rural Payment Agency, the United Kingdom;
Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Agricultural Markets and Rural Development.
The purpose of the workshop was to improve the knowledge about the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS).
The workshop was aimed to comply with EU standards by:
- learning about EU regulations and Member States best practices on the implementation of IACS;
- aligning further internal procedures about fraud prevention and conflict of interests within a paying agency to European standards;
- to raise awareness about the issues related IT improvement system during the accreditation of the AIPA.
Workshop on Preparation of a Strategic Development plan for the paying Agency
Date 08-09 February 2016, Chisinau, Moldova.
Partners: National Paying Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania.
Rural Payments Agency (CAP Paying Agency for UK), Great Britain
Rural Investments Financing Agency, Romania
France Agence de Services et de Payement (ASP), France
The workshop aimed to support the AIPA in drafting the Strategic Development Plan for a paying agency in accordance with EU standards and requirements, including: how to define the Agency’s mission, long-term goals, planned strategies and approaches that should be used to monitor its progress in addressing specific problems, needs, challenges, and opportunities related to the Agency’s mission.
Study visit on Communicating the Agricultural and Rural Development Programs
Date: 09 -11 November 2015, Reading, London, the United Kingdom
Partners: Rural Payments Agency (CAP Paying Agency for UK), Great Britain
The purpose of the study visit was to learn good practice of communicating Rural Development Programs to citizens. How to ensure of what the beneficiaries must be aware of and understand how to access the EU and other available funds.
Visitors’ group learned about communication methods and tools which enable them to better design and update the Communication Action Plans for a better dissemination of the information.
Study visit on Improving Financial Management within the Agency of Intervention and Payments for Agriculture
Date 07-10 September 2015, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Partners: Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Agricultural Markets and Rural Development.
The AIPA experts gained knowledge, information and practical examples related to the role, responsibilities, functioning and operation of Financial Department within an EU Paying Agency, according to the relevant EU Acquis. The information obtained during the visit helped AIPA in continuing its progress towards compliance with EU requirements.
The study tour aimed to enable the selected officials to gain practical experiences in a Paying Agency’s approach and methodologies for budgeting, execution of payments, accounting policies and the establishment and maintenance of an internally recognized accounting system including the use of a chart accounts, with a special attention to processes involving the recovery of the debts, the maintenance of debtors and creditors ledgers as well as to the preparation of annual accounts and regular internal and external financialmonitoring reports.
Study visit on Producers Groups
Date: 18-22 May 2015, Warsaw, Poland
Partners: Poland Agricultural Market Agency
The aim of the meeting was to provide to the AIPA officials the practical experience on the management of support schemes directed towards supporting Producer Organizations. Schemes of the CAP for the producer groups, aid for the producer groups within the common market organization of the agricultural products.
The principles of the activity of ARMA and support offered for the producers groups on the fruits and vegetables market (operational programs; operational funds – rules of financing, activities covered by support, scope of support, checks and settlements).
Also the study visit offered essential knowledge about producers groups: structure, organization, integration level, legislation and the role of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and ARMA in supervising the functioning of producers groups. System of the agricultural advisory, marketing of the products, financing, settlements, cooperation with other units.
Study visit on Internal Audit
Date: 24–28. March 2014, Budapest, Hungary,
Partner: The Hungarian Agricultural and Rural Development Agency
The purpose of the study visit was the following: providing to the Moldovan Agency for Payments and Interventions in Agriculture the information and practical examples related to the role, functioning and operating of the Internal Audit services of the EU Paying Agencies, according to the relevant EU Acquis.
The study visit was in line with the stated objectives of developing the internal audit unit through capacity building in the agricultural administration of Moldova aligning to the EU CAP policy implementation principles.
Workshop on Procedures for the administration and control of the payments to the farmers.
Date 04-05 September 2013, Chisinau, Moldova.
Partners: The Ministry of Energy, Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Areas Schleswig-Holstein;
The Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia;
Romanian Paying and Intervention Agency for Agriculture (APIA).
The purpose of the meeting: exchange of experience on methods to design and implement check lists regarding administration and control, payments authorization and on - spot controls.
In the framework workshop was analyzed the actually system control of procedures in relationship to the administration of national subsidies and investment schemes and review of the Romanian financial support system of agriculture (EU direct payments and rural development measures) for structural and conceptual comparison.
The experts offered integrated overview about:
- the Integrated Administration and Control System with general workflow;
- sub-systems of IACS according to R.73/2009, including the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), IT and software support;
- paying agency procedures in regards to, initial establishment of the LPIS, farmer register and aid application submission by the farmers.
During the workshop the AIPA experts learned how to develop guidebooks on procedures for Administration and Control Department, Payments Authorization Department, and Inspections and on-spot Control Department.
Expert Mission on Institutional capacity building
Date: 11-15 March 2013, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Partners: Romanian Paying and Intervention Agency for Agriculture (APIA).
The objective of the Expert Mission was to deliver assistance to AIPA for identifying gaps in the structure and furthermore, to support AIPA in its activity and gives a better outlook on how to improve the structure and provided a final report with recommendations and suggested follow-up actions according to the EU standards.
The expert mission has ascertained the missing essentially management debits and was proposed to be reviewed in compliance with all the responsibilities of civil servants in the legislation and in the internal regulation.
The requirements for all positions within the Agency, were defined in order to ensure that proper candidate selected for a relevant position, including the training plan with specific trainings in accordance with personal tasks;
It was recommend to draw up written procedures in accordance with European regulations related to all the processes and also a list of personnel to access database and checklists.
Also, to establish IT department, Internal Audit Directorate in line with European regulations.
