Twinning
As Twinning (. English twinning: Verkuppelung (steel), also: anchoring, connection) is defined as an instrument to prepare for the accession of a country to the European Union . In such a pre-accession instrument, the candidate country works with experts from the member states on specific projects to implement the acquis communautaire , in particular in the areas of agriculture, the environment, justice and home affairs, finance, the internal market, regional development, labor and social affairs, and health and transport. The project duration is between six and eight months (short-term twinning, “Twinning Light”) and 24 months (long-term or normal twinning).
In the case of the countries that joined in 2004 , twinning will continue until the end of 2006 as a transitional measure. However, the focus is on Bulgaria and Romania, which joined on January 1, 2007, and on the candidate country Turkey .
Twinning is not to be confused with "Town twinning" ( twinning ).