5.4.1. Assessment of the EUAA’s third country support in 2023 

The EUAA commissioned three external evaluations in 2023 covering the roadmaps for cooperation with Montenegro (2022-2023) and Kosovolii (2022-2024) and cooperation with the Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI) established for the period 2017-2022. The Agency also internally evaluated the 2022-2023 roadmap for cooperation with the PMM in Türkiye.

The EUAA cooperation with MARRI was concluded in 2023. The evaluation found that MARRI’s capacity improved in recent years as a result of the support provided by its donor or partner organisation and experience through project implementation. The evaluation also identified resource limitations and recommended that further cooperation be subject to an assessment of risks and potential benefits. 

The Agency concluded the implementation of the 24-month-long roadmaps with Montenegro and Kosovo, ending in December 2023 and February 2024, respectively. The evaluations found that both roadmaps were of continued relevance to the needs of partner authorities, owing to their capacity to adapt to emerging needs and allow for enhanced preparedness. This was evident in the response to an unexpected influx of Ukrainian arrivals in 2022 in Montenegro. The provision of support through the development of procedures, study visits and practical guidance contributed to the strengthening of institutional and individual capacities in the administrations. While the evaluations identified some delays, in part due to limited human resources and absorption capacities, the roadmaps’ benefits outweighed the costs and were coherent with EU policy and partner priorities. The evaluations recommended better alignment between the roadmaps’ objectives and capacity for delivery, with clarified roles, a strengthened monitoring framework and enhanced cooperation with organisations on the ground. 

The outcomes of roadmap for cooperation between the EUAA and the PMM aligned well with the authorities’ needs and the broader framework of the Team Europe approach. Notwithstanding the ambitious number of planned results, limited resources and contextual challenges, the effectiveness of the roadmap was overall good. Activities, such as study visits, were undertaken in close collaboration with EU+ countries. The evaluation found capacity-building initiatives to be particularly relevant. The EUAA’s added-value was in the coordination of activities, leading to better effectiveness and coherence. The evaluation recommended extending the roadmap’s duration and widening the scope of cooperation, while focusing on fewer results, improving preparation and follow-up activities, and enhancing in-country coordination and synergies.