AMA’s International Cooperation

International Cooperation (IC-AMA) is an administrative unit within the "Central Services" of Agrarmarkt Austria (AMA, the Austrian Paying Agency for Agriculture and Rural Development) reporting directly to the board of management. The main tasks are to offer advice to Central and Eastern European countries throughout their accession process to the European Union and to set up the necessary administrative structures such as Managing Authorities and Paying Agencies, predominantly through Twinning projects. 

It aims to assist potential candidate and candidate countries in developing modern and efficient administrations with the necessary structures, human resources and management skills needed to implement the ‘acquis communautaire’. The European Commission has set out guidelines for the Twinning project process in a Twinning manual.

In addition to Twinning projects, IC-AMA organizes various forms of cooperation between Paying Agencies, facilitating the exchange of expertise in the field of agricultural administration, and organising study visits within Austria and its neighbouring countries.

With our wide of experience in this area and with more than 40 successfully implemented Twinning projects across 17 different European countries (many of which have become Member States of the EU), IC-AMA offers support in particular in the following areas:

•    Organizing study visits to Austria under Twinning projects in the sector of agriculture and rural development administration
•    Implementing direct payment measures
•    Implementing rural development policy
•    Establishing administrative structures for IPARD implementation (Managing Authority, IPARD Agency etc.)
•    Developing an integrated administration and control system (IACS)
•    Establishing internal audits, on the spot controls and data security systems
•    Developing animal identification and registration systems (I&R)
•    Establishing organic farming structures
•    Establishing an advisory service and agricultural education system