Brussels/Vilnius, 11 May 2022
- European development cooperation organisations gathered at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of
Lithuania in Vilnius on 11-12 May at the Annual Meeting of the General Assembly of the
Practitioners’ Network for European Development Cooperation (PN). This year’s meeting marked
the 15th anniversary of the network and the end of the PN co-Presidency by the Lithuanian
Central Project Management Agency (CPMA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Celebrating 15 years of the network
Founded in 2007, the PN has served as a platform for exchange, coordination and harmonisation
between European development cooperation organisations and the European Commission. In
celebration of the 15th anniversary of the PN, Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International
Partnerships, conveyed her well wishes to the network at its annual meeting in a video message:
“You [the PN] embody the Team Europe spirit and you have lived up to your motto ‘Stronger
Together’. Together, we have responded to the needs of people around the world and worked
towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.“
Highlights of the CPMA-GIZ co-Presidency 2021-2022
In keeping with its year-long priorities, the co-Presidency emphasised “inclusiveness” as a guiding
principle and approach within the network by fostering exchanges in its Working Groups, as well
as ensuring agile participation opportunities for all PN Members in the network’s activities. This
also applied to (online) meetings of the PN CEOs that focused on the importance of Public Sector
Expertise (PSE) as a form of technical cooperation and the future ambitions of the network. The
latter resulted in an overarching strategic framework that was officially endorsed in Vilnius and
will guide the network for the next eight years.
Throughout the various exchanges, the co-Presidency focused the network’s exchanges in the
areas of digitalisation, mobilising PSE from EU Member States’ administrations to promote
reform, and exchange with partner countries, as well as the external dimension of the European
Green Deal. Further, GIZ and CPMA brought key players together in dialogue forums, such as
the European Development Days or the Finance in Common Summit, contributing to aligning
financial and technical assistance providers and supporting the effectiveness of international
cooperation.
Passing on the baton
At the AMGA, CPMA and GIZ passed on the PN Presidency to the next co-Presidents: the
Spanish Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas
(FIIAPP) and the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV).
The PN is an open platform for exchange, coordination and harmonisation between 17 European
development cooperation organisations with a public service mission (Members), 5 Associates
(e.g. Ministry) and the European Commission (Observer). Via its Working Groups and Task
Force, the network fosters horizontal and sectoral exchanges – well in line with priority topics for
the European Commission and partner countries. For example, it covers areas such as financial
and contractual issues, effective partnerships and implementation, collaboration with the private
sector, mainstreaming gender equality, climate or cooperating under the Team Europe approach.
Members take over the Presidency on a voluntary rotating basis and define respective priorities
for their term to guide the work of the network.
The Annual Meeting of the General Assembly
As the main body of the PN, the General Assembly marks the one time in the year when all 23
Members gather to discuss and take strategic decisions and formally endorse future “offices”. In
a well-established tradition, the first day is dedicated to a strategic exchange among the CEOs
and the European Commission, while the second day focuses on the more operational decisions
of the network with the PN focal persons and co-leads of the Working Groups and Task Force
discussing their achievements.
About CPMA
The Central Project Management Agency (CPMA) is a European Commission pillar-assessed
public institution established in 2003 by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania. CPMA
is a development cooperation agency of Lithuania in charge of implementing and administering
development cooperation programmes and projects of Lithuanian public sector institutions and
beyond. CPMA has 20-year long experience in administering and implementing complex EU and
other donor funded projects. Since Lithuania’s accession to the EU in 2004 the CPMA implements
and administers the EU funded development cooperation projects mainly in Eastern Partnership
and Western Balkan countries. Apart from development cooperation activities, CPMA is in charge
of management of public investment programmes and Public Private Partnership methodology
centre in Lithuania. The current portfolio of CPMA programmes is around 16 billion EUR.
About GIZ
As a provider of international cooperation services for sustainable development and international
education work, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh is
dedicated to building a future worth living around the world. As a German public-benefit federal
enterprise, GIZ has over 50 years of experience in various areas, including economic
development and employment, energy and the environment, and peace and security. The diverse
GIZ expertise is in demand
worldwide, with the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the
private sector and governments of other countries all benefiting from the services.
About FIIAPP
FIIAPP (Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas) is
a public sector foundation, part of the Spanish and European public cooperation systems. FIIAPP
is specialised in promoting and managing the participation of institutions, public
administrations and their associated bodies in international cooperation programmes and
projects in more than 100 countries within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. By accompanying
the reform and the improvement of public policies, FIIAPP directs these actions towards
institutional strengthening and sustainable and inclusive development results for the benefit of
the people and the planet.
About SNV
SNV is an international development organisation that applies practical knowledge to make a
lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty. SNV uses its extensive and long-term incountry
presence to apply and adapt its expertise in agriculture, energy, and water, sanitation &
hygiene (WASH) to local contexts. SNV has annual revenues of over €120 million, and 1300 staff
working in 25 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America. SNV is a not-for-profit organisation
that uses project financing to implement its mission.