In December 2008 the Swedish Government established the Partnership Programme in order to increase the participation of the most recent EU Member States as partners in Swedish development cooperation in Eastern Europe and Western Balkans. Sida is given the task to operationalise the special effort.
Aim
The aim of the Programme is to increase cooperation between Sweden and the new EU Member States within the area of development cooperation and in the long run contribute to increased strategic- and programmatic cooperation. This aim has helped to establish a platform for dialogue and networking around international work on aid effectiveness, which, in turn, has contributed to increased effectiveness in the Swedish reform cooperation in relevant Partner countries.
The general idea of the Partnership Programme is to make better use of the knowledge of new EU Member States and EU approximation processes in relevant Member Stateshaving recently undergone processes of democratic transition and EU approximation . These experiences are highly relevant for countries now striving for membership. The aim of the Partnership Programme is in line with the principles of aid effectiveness, as agreed in the Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action.
Participation
The countries included in the Programme are the new EU Member States and nine partner countries. The new Member States are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The nine Partner countries are Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine.
Methodology
The Partnership Programme departs from the Partner countries‘ priorities, as described intheir action plans for EU approximation and/or national development strategies.
The Programme aims to:
- Identify concrete cooperation areas and sectors in the Partner countries
- Develop methods for common work on analyses and strategies
- Develop methods for common programme and project activities
Dialogue
The Programme builds upon mutual respect and dialogue. A precondition is that Sida improves its understanding of how different EU Member States manage development cooperation. Dialogue is continuously held with the Member States on how to build consensus regarding development cooperation, making the priorities of the partner country the guiding tool in line with the international agenda for aid efficiency.
Training and networking
Training, advisory activities and networking with Member States have been carried out on a needs and request basis Future trainings may be conducted if resources permit.
Three thematic priorities
There are three thematic priorities in common for all the Swedish bilateral development cooperation and they should, in one way or the other, permeate all the development cooperation activities;
- Democracy and Human Rights
- Environment and Climate
- Gender equality and the Role of women in development
Achieved and expected results
The Partnership Programme has contributed to increase the the knowledge of EU Member States’ overall management of development cooperation. Moreover, the Programme has helped improve dialogue on, and knowledge of, international work on aid effectiveness. Another area where the Partnership Programme has been active, is to increase cooperation with relevant Member States in the European Commisson instruments European Neighbourhood Partnership Instruments (ENPI) and the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) and identified contractual forms that suit possible new cooperation formats. Identified areas of common interest and activities within the frame of the EU Eastern Partnership Comprehensive Institution Building programme (CIB) is also a probable outcome.
For further information regarding the Partnership Programme, please contact 
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