Strengthening of the INOGATE Technical Secretariat (ITS) in support of the Baku Initiative

Project Description

The project includes 5 components, as follow:

• Component 1: Fostering dialogue and promoting exchanges of experiences Component 2: Developing partnerships and contributing to improving coordination of energy assistance initiatives
• Component 3: Increasing information flows and access to relevant information sources
• Component 4: Targeted assistance to catalyse country reforms
• Component 5: Supporting the coordination and development of the INOGATE programme

Project Objective

The overall objective of this project is to pursue and to expand the services provided by the INOGATE Technical Secretariat, with a view to improving the overall performance of the INOGATE programme towards achieving the already proclaimed goals defined at the Energy Ministers’ conference held on 30 November 2006 in Astana, as well as any future objectives, which might be set out in this framework.

Specific Objectives

• Fostering dialogue and promoting exchange of experiences between the INOGATE partner countries as well as between these countries and the EU;
• Developing working partnerships with relevant energy stakeholders and helping to improve the coordination of all INOGATE activities, as well as the consistency of energy assistance initiatives in the NIS region;
• Increasing information flows and access to relevant information sources in the sector concerned;
• Providing targeted assistance to catalyse country reforms;
• On request by the EC Task Manager, supporting the EC in the overall coordination and development of INOGATE.

Expected Results

• Progress towards greater coherence and consistency of the cooperation framework, including better integration of INOGATE projects, as well as improvement of the Programme`s overall performance through greater visibility and active support of the Partner Countries and other relevant stakeholders
• Tangible results in terms of awareness-raising, networking, training and capacity-building, data collection and exchange, and improved collaboration between Partner Countries
• Significant progress towards the incorporation of the objectives of the Energy Road Map - convergence, security, sustainability, and financing of infrastructure of common interest - (and any future objectives set out by the Energy Ministers of the partner countries) - into national policies, and towards the achievement of these objectives