Anac's Twinning project in support of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Agency for the Prevention and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption (Apik) was officially launched in Sarajevo on Tuesday 17 September 2024. Anac President Giuseppe Busia and Secretary General Filippo Romano, assisted by the Italian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, attended the launch event marking the official start of the project. The event was attended by the top leaders of the European Union Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, starting with the newly appointed Head of the Delegation, Italian Luigi Soreca; the Director of the Special Investigation Service (Stt) of Lithuania, Linas Pernavas; the Director of Apik, Elvis Kondžić; and several representatives of Bosnian-Herzegovinian civil society.
Twinning (administrative twinning) is a 'capacity building' instrument financed by the European budget, whereby civil servants from the public administrations of EU Member States are seconded - at EU expense - to third countries, with the aim of supporting the transmission of 'know-how' and the alignment of local regulations with those of the Union. They are selected following a real competitive procedure in order to identify the best proposal in the interest of the beneficiary country. In this case, the project was awarded to the Italian Anac, assisted by the Investigation Service of Lithuania, confirming the recognised expertise of the two institutions.
Within the framework of this twinning, Anac will support Apik's institutional development and management capacities, with the aim of promoting its role as an inescapable reference point for corruption prevention in Bosnia Herzegovina. Taking decisive steps to strengthen the prevention of and fight against corruption and organised crime is one of the necessary conditions for the Balkan country to start negotiations to join the EU. In the past, Anac, as part of a cooperation with our Embassy in Sarajevo, had already provided training for the State Procurement Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Our presence here demonstrates the strength of our common commitment to fighting corruption and promoting a culture of integrity at national and international level," said Anac President Busìa. "All this in the full spirit of the inspiring principles of the European Union and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)." "Anac is actively involved in international forums and organisations such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. We see multilateral and bilateral cooperation as a key tool for institutions like ours to learn from each other and also to strengthen our position at national level'.
"This project," said the Italian Ambassador, Marco Di Ruzza, "confirms that Italy's support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path is not limited to high-level Brussels diplomacy, but also includes silent and operational day-to-day activity. Corruption is not only a limitation to Bosnia Herzegovina's economic development and a perverse incentive for the emigration of its youth population, but can also become a real cause of delegitimisation of the country's authorities. With this Twinning, Italy - thanks to Anac - takes the lead in supporting Bosnia Herzegovina in this area, which will be crucial for its European future".
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