ALSO Project Strand B Working Conference Szeged, April 2007 Promoting transnational cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe: the CEI experience in EU projects Presentation by Chiara Casarella CEI Funding Unit

The CEI Central European Initiative 18 Member States

The CEI characteristics The CEI stands out among regional actors for several reasons:  First regional body to be created after the end of the Cold War  Operates both at the political and project levels  Disposes of a fully-fledged intergovernmental machinery  Enjoys a significant degree of regional ownership  Uses a bottom-up approach in its operational activities

The CEI objectives  Promotion of dialogue and cooperation in the region  Strengthening economic, political and cultural cooperation among its Member States  Bringing non-EU Member States closer to the EU  Avoiding the creation of new divisions among advanced and less advanced countries The CEI combines political dialogue with effective transnational and interregional cooperation

The CEI is a 3-pillar organisation, evolving around 3 dimensions:  Governmental Dimension (annual Summit of Heads of Governments, annual meeting of ministers of foreign affairs, monthly meeting of CNC, WGs, Task Forces)  Parliamentary Dimension (annual meeting of Parliamentary Assembly, working documents elaborated by 3 General Committees )  Business Dimension (CECCI, SEF) The CEI Structures

Although the CEI is not a major donor organisation since it can rely on its financial instruments and funds, still it supports projects and cooperation activities:  CEI Trust Fund at the EBRD  CEI Cooperation Fund  CEI Solidarity Fund The CEI Funds

The CEI operates thanks to various instruments, taking advantage of links established between institutions and scientific bodies :  CEI University Network  CEI Science and Technology Network  CEI Know-How Exchange Programme  CEI Funding Unit The CEI Instruments

The CEI Funding Unit As a consequence of the on-going EU enlargement, an increasing number of CEI Member States acceded to the EU  Stronger role of the CEI liaising between countries within and outside the EU  The Funding Unit was created in 2004 with the aim to attract additional funding for CEI project activities with a main focus on EU programmes applicable to the CEI region

Participation in EU Projects The CEI Funding Unit operates as main financial and organisational link between EU programmes and CEI Member States, through:  Promoting participation of CEI Member States, particularly non-EU ones, in EU programmes  Disseminating project activities and results throughout the wide territory of CEI  Supporting information on EU Programmes  Facilitating links with authorities from Central and Eastern Europe

Some Figures on Projects ( ) Submitted Projects21 Approved Projects 9 (Interreg, Interact, 6 th FP R&D, Culture 2000, Adriatic New Neighbourhood programme, etc… ) Sectors concerned Transport, spatial development, information society technologies, SMEs, Lisbon Strategy, energy, civil protection, culture Total value of submitted projects 15, 7 m EUR Total value of approved projects 8 m EUR CEI budgetary involvement in the approved projects Around EUR

The CEI transnational approach The CEI can ensure interregional and transnational approach thanks to:  A well-structured cooperation network and institutional context  Its direct involvement in EU projects with the aim of  Promoting horizontally institutional links among CEI countries not directly involved in the projects  Promoting vertically links between regional, local and governmental authorities

The CEI experience in EU projects By taking advantage of its transnational dimension and institutional channels, the CEI can provide additional resources and instruments to the dissemination of project results in the wide CEI region:  ALSO Project Achievements of the Lisbon and Gothenburg Strategy Objectives by INTERREG

ProgrammeINTERACT Programme DurationJuly 2005 – October 2007 Partnership15 partners from all over Europe ObjectivesEstablishing operational links between INTERREG Projects and the re-launched Lisbon Strategy in order to orient future generations projects towards Lisbon Strategy Objectives

The CEI role (1):  Promoting the project and disseminating the project findings and tools within the CEI region;  Promoting links among central and regional authorities in order to orientate future generation of cross-border and interregional cooperation projects/activities towards the targets of Lisbon agenda.

The CEI role (2):  Involvement of the CEI institutional structures and networks (i.e. through CEI Working Group on ICBC)  Support for a wide dissemination of the ALSO project results  CEI financial resources allocated to provide additional promotional activities (CEI Cooperation Fund)  ALSO dissemination activities will be attached to a main event to be organised by the WG on ICBC (Conference of Interregional and Cross-Border Cooperation)

The CEI experience in INTERREG projects By taking advantage of the transnational dimension of the INTERREG IIIB CADSES, the CEI is involved in several projects funded under the mentioned programme:  R.A.V.E. Space Raising Awareness of the Values of Space through the Process of Education  A-B Landbridge Adriatic – Baltic Landbridge

ProgrammeINTERREG IIIB CADSES DurationMarch 2005 – December 2007 Partnership9 partners from Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Slovenia ObjectivesImproving the role of education in the field of spatial planning and sustainable development in primary and secondary schools BackgroundUNECE Strategy for ESD, ESDP, European Landscape Convention, Agenda Habitat, Lisbon Strategy

With the aim of involving Non-EU CEI Member States, the CEI supported the participation of Montenegro in the project (not eligible country) through the Cooperation Fund The CEI role within the project: project promotionresults dissemination Responsible Partner for project promotion and results dissemination among all CADSES Countries and within the European area. Other activities: Summer Camp, Final Conference, involvement of the CEI relevant WGs

ProgrammeINTERREG IIIB CADSES DurationJune 2006 – April 2008 Partnership23 partners from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia ObjectivesFostering regional economic cohesion between Western and Easter CADSES Countries by investing in sustainable transport

The CEI role: Responsible partner for the development of the institutional setting:  Profiling of institutional framework  Profiling of institutional framework for the establishment of an A-B Landbridge Cooperation Programme Spatial Development Forum  Organisation of the Spatial Development Forum on 22 May 2007 (within the REAL CORP 12th International Conference on Urban Planning, Regional Development and Information Society, May 2007)  CEI co-financing the project

The CEI Added Values The CEI as an intergovernmental organisation has specific valuable characteristics:  Flexibility  Flexibility in adapting and interpret its roles (projects in various sectors, various roles of the CEI)  Reliability  Reliability of well-established CEI institutional structures  Availability  Availability of instruments of cooperation at the disposal of the Member States

The CEI role in SEES Through its participation in EU projects, the CEI has managed to  Boost a successful process of integration  Reinforce transnational cooperation  Assist Non-EU CEI Member States in shaping their policies according to the EU model  The CEI supports the SEE Strategy towards a more effective role of Pre-Accession Assistance and Neighbourhood Policy:  Geographical coverage  Institutional structures  Experience in transnational cooperation

Thank you for your attention Chiara Casarella Project Officer CEI - Executive Secretariat Funding Unit Via Genova 9, Trieste – Italy Tel /743 Fax Barbara Fabro Senior Executive Officer Chiara Cecchetto Project Assistant