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Sigma is a joint initiative of the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), principally financed by the EU.
Sigma was launched in 1992 by the OECD and the European Commission's Phare Programme to support the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia implement public administration reforms. In parallel with further EU enlargement and the expansion of the Stabilisation and Association Process, Sigma support has since been extended to other partners, including all ten 2004 EU entrants and to the two 2007 entrants, Bulgaria and Romania.
In 2009, Sigma is working with the 3 EU candidate countries - Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Turkey - and with the 5 EU potential candidates - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo under UNSCR 1244/99.
In June 2008, Sigma support was extended, as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, to 16 EU neighbours: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia, and Ukraine. SIGMA also started working with Russia.
For activities supporting EU candidate and potential candidate countries under the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA), Sigma works mainly with the EC's Directorate-General for Enlargement. For its partners benefitting from the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), Sigma works mainly will EuropeAid. Sigma also coordinates its activities with other EC Directorates, including Budget, Internal Market, External Relations, and Enterprise, as with EC special bodies such as the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Court of Auditors (ECA). Sigma's annual progress assessments (launched in 1999) provide input to the EC's Progress Reports on EU candidates and potential EU candidates.
As a unit of the OECD’s Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial Development (GOV), Sigma is also able to draw on the expertise of GOV’s networks of public management experts and decision-makers in OECD member countries.
Read more on how Sigma works.
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