PRESS RELEASE
Funded by the European Union and under the supervision of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation
Launching of the Jordan - EU Twinning Program
for Institutional Strengthening of the
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC)
Amman: 15/1/2012
Under the patronage of the Minister of Information and Communications Technology Eng. Basem Rousan, the Jordan – European Union (EU) Twinning Program for institutional strengthening of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) was launched today in a ceremony attended by concerned diplomatic missions and representatives from the public and private sectors.
The program is intended to contribute to the development of the Jordanian telecommunications sector in regards to the telecommunications market competitive environment, enhance the quality of the telecommunications services, as well as increasing penetration rates within reasonable prices that fulfills the needs of the beneficiaries of the telecom services.
In his speech Minister Rousan confirmed the importance of launching such initiatives, which contribute effectively in building capacity in the ICT sector and enhancing technical and administrative skills through knowledge transfer to reach a highly competitive sector. He also thanked the EU for this initiative which reflects the deep and strong partnership between the Jordanian government and the EU.
The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners and CEO of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Eng. Mohammad Al-Taani stated during his speech “We are proud of the strength of our record that has been established over the years through the clear vision and continued support of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein and the successive governments; this gave us the vote of confidence from the European Union for this project.”
Al-Taani added, “Inter-institutional twinning programmes in regulation proved to be significant tools for helping beneficiary countries to enhance the efficiency of their regulatory regimes. And this is where twinning TRC with European regulatory agencies, a consortium of French, Spanish and Italian regulator, is intended to support the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission in developing its regulatory framework, and operational capacities to be in line with the best international standards and EU best practices.”
At the end of his speech Al-Taani expressed his deepest appreciation and sincere gratitude to the European Union and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation for their efforts in realizing this Project for TRC.
In her speech, the Head of the EU Delegation in Amman, Ambassador Joanna Wronecka said: “Jordan is an active member in the Euro - Mediterranean regulators group and it is advanced in the application of international best practices. This Twinning Project will help the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission in developing its regulatory framework and in strengthening its institutional capacity. It will also bring together the regulatory frameworks between Jordan and the European Union.
The Ambassador of France in Amman, Corinne Breuze stated during her speech: “I am very pleased to participate today in the kick-off meeting of this Twinning Project, whereas the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry will implement together with our Spanish & Italian colleagues this project.” She also expressed her hope that this partnership will contribute to the development of the Jordanian Telecom sector, in helping to strike the proper balance between the needs for a healthy competition and the incentives for investors to build up the networks of tomorrow, to create jobs opportunities in this vital sector, and to develop a regulatory framework and operational capacities to be in line with the standards and practices of the European Union States.
After the launching ceremony, a conference was held with the participation of many exparts and specialized speekers from the European Consortioum (France, Spain, and Italy) and the TRC, with the presence of representatives from both the public and private sectors. During the conference, the components of the project and the expected results were discussed, these being: A comprehensive approach on Next Generation Networks; Specific market remedies applied and revised TRC regulations related to such remedies; Transition to digital broadcasting and use of digital dividend; Legal approximation and convergence; and finally, Enhance TRC staff capacity in the field of Electronic Authentication and Electronic Signature.
This Twinning Project will be implemented through a European Consortioum from three Member States: France, Spain and Italy, with a financial funding from the European Union (EU) under the supervision of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. The Project will be implemented over a period of 24 months, whereas the budget of the project will be included within the assistance of the European Union extended to the Kingdom.
It is worth mentioning that the inter-institutional Twinning programmes aim at helping beneficiary countries to develop modern and efficient administrations, with the needed structures, human resources and management skills. They bring together the public sector expertise from EU Member States and beneficiary countries and must yield concrete operational results for the beneficiary country under the terms of the Association Agreement between that country and the EU..
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