GIZ Albania’s Post

On 10 July, the #CompetitionCouncil released a game-changing Preliminary Report on 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬 (𝐆𝐈𝐄 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭). The council focuses on improving the business environment and ensuring companies work together and observe competition rules, while promoting the interconnection between the Romanian and International business environment. Since Economic Interest Groups are designed to facilitate transnational and interprofessional cooperation, especially among #SMEs, but the current legislation does not adequately address the activities and responsibilities of GIE/GEIE, the GIE Report recommends as follows: 🔸𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: Improve legal and administrative frameworks, by creating a law dedicated solely to GIE/GEIE, while incorporating successful elements from countries with high GEIE numbers (e.g., Germany); 🔸𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Specify regulations for GIE/GEIE activities, particularly regarding public procurement and state aid schemes; 🔸𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Explicitly recognise GIE/GEIE as potential bidders in public procurement legislation to prevent contracting authorities' reluctance. 🔸𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Increase awareness and dissemination of information about GIE/GEIE among authorities, companies, and professionals. 🔸𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐬: Given that SMEs predominantly form GIE/GEIE, prioritize their support in government programs; 🔸𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬: Reduce bureaucratic barriers, such as mandatory notarization of constitutive acts, to make GIE/GEIE more attractive. 🔸𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Develop solutions allowing transparent fiscal and accounting practices for GIE/GEIE. 🔸𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Implement communication and training programs about the benefits and legalities of GIE/GEIE to increase adoption and proper use. Observations and comments on the GIE Report may be submitted in writing until 30th of July, via e-mail at studiugie@consiliulconcurentei.ro.   #GIE #GEIE #CompetitionCouncil #LegislativeReform #PublicProcurement #BusinessEnvironment #TransnationalCooperation

PR 012010 – Armenia: Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Economy to support Armenia’s diversification of export markets – Legal Expert. 📌 The overall objective of the project is to support the Government of Armenia in prioritising, developing, adopting and implementing its export-related reforms, in line with the operationalisation of the national export strategy. ▪The project aims to provide expert capacity support to the Ministry to deliver on a range of reform initiatives aimed to improve the export potential of Armenia. ▪This procurement is for a Legal Expert. The Legal Expert will support relevant legal analysis, drafting of relevant legislation as well as strategic planning and policy reform coordination. 🗓 The Assignment has an estimated overall duration of 12 months. 📌 To view further details of this event, please log in to https://lnkd.in/eePDbk5. *If you or your company have never worked with EBRD, please register as a supplier in SMART, via the following link (you will be taken directly to SMART’s registration site hosted on the GEP.com domain : https://lnkd.in/ed8tU5_z Deadline: 19.03.2024

The EU rules on foreign subsidies are now in full swing and the number of notifications have far exceeded the European Commission’s (EC) expectations. Last week the EC announced that it has launched in-depth investigations under the new rules suspecting that two bidders in an ongoing tender procedure have been granted foreign subsidies that distort the internal market. Only one week earlier, Chinese state-owned train manufacturer CRRC withdrew its tender in another procedure following the EC’s launch of an in-depth investigation. Read more on the enforcement of the new rules in our latest blog post!

#USAID issues updated instructions for UEI and SAM registrations for prime recipients and sub recipients, clarifying new exemption authorities under revised 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 25. Although USAID clarifies that grants and subgrants to Individuals are not subject to UEI or FFATA reporting, USAID has not yet taken the opportunity to define the difference between what a "subaward" vs "direct assistance to beneficiary grant" is - for the purpose of not only UEI but also the requirement to flow down provisions and other cumbersome compliance requirements which are unnecessary for pass-through grants under Assistance Awards, which do not meet the definition of "sub-award" under 2 CFR 200. Hopefully this will be done in the revision of 2 CFR 700 when its completed on October 1, 2024. This will definitely be a HUGE change and streamline #Localization efforts by prime implementors. https://lnkd.in/ei9gCjvg

The Foreign Subsidies Regulation has been applicable in the EU since 12 July 2023 and the notification obligations for certain large M&A transactions and public procurement tenders have now been applicable since 12 October 2023. In this blogpost, we discuss the Commission’s first months of enforcement of the FSR which notably includes a first in-depth investigation in relation to a public procurement tender in Bulgaria by a Chinese state-owned company, resulting in a withdrawn tender. 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02r1v2J0 #foreignsubsidies #FSR #China #public procurement #advokatifirmandelphi

International good practices promote the need for coherent and stable institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks. As these frameworks should be as clear and simple as possible as per OECD recommendations. #oecd #publicprocurement #goodreads

Al Khoori, stated, “This strategic cooperation council includes a series of agreements and projects under three pillars, one of which is the economic and financial pillar, which contributes to enhancing achievements, protecting interests, and creating new opportunities for the two nations. Government procurement solutions developed by the MoF have become a leading model presenting a new concept of government procurement, through providing lists of shared products and services.” Read more at the link below. https://lnkd.in/dDi-FsHa

In recent months, the first FSR dawn raids (…and the first litigation) have shown a continuing eagerness by the EC to apply and enforce the regulation. Read on the public procurement tool below! #foreignsubsidies #publicprocurement

Dear Slovak project partners, We have important news for you! The "Binding guidance for SK applicants/ beneficiaries on public procurement procedures" document has been published, and it's a must-have resource on your path to joint success! This document contains all the essential guidelines you'll need for smooth and effective collaboration. Don’t miss out—download it now: https://lnkd.in/dfVgi4-W You can find all the documents in one place here: https://lnkd.in/dHY7Gf6H #InterregHUSK #BuildingPartnership #EuropeanUnion #crossbordercooperation

👏 Germany is doing commendable work by implementing the EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative). Once again it achieved a successful validation. The aim of the EITI is to make tax payments, licenses, extraction volumes and revenues from the #commodities sector accessible to the public. GIZ supports the initiative in this endeavour. Out of a total of 55 implementing countries Germany and nine other countries implement the international #EITI standard with high quality. More on the validation of the D-EITI 👉 https://lnkd.in/g-M6JVhe Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz D-EITI #CommodityTransparency