A European Union 'twinning' project to provide Israel with technical assistance in the field of telecommunications is to be launched at an international conference at Mishkenot Sha'ananim in Jerusalem on Monday, March 28 in the presence of Minister of Communications, Moshe Kahalon.
"Twinning" projects are one of the tools that the European Union employs in the framework of its European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). A twinning project consists of sending a resident advisor from an EU member state (supported by other advisors on shorter term missions) to a partner country for at least one year.
The telecom twinning project is called "Assist the Israeli Telecommunications regulator to establish greater approximation to the European Union regulatory approach, specifically with wholesale markets". It is being conducted by the Israel Ministry of Communications with the cooperation of the German Federal Network Agency, the Italian Authority for Communications, and the Telecommunications Market Commission of Spain.
The Resident Twinning Advisor will be Ms. Yvonne Groesch of the German Federal Network Agency's department 'International Policy Issues and Regulatory Strategies', who has vast experience in advising public authorities on regulatory reform and sector specific regulation.
The launch of the project will be also be attended by Ambassador Andrew Standley, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Israel, the Ambassador of Spain Alvaro Iranzo Gutierrez, the directors of the National Regulatory Agencies of Germany, Italy and Spain, and other guests.
