1. 25 YEARS OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE:
CONTRIBUTING TO EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
Alessandro Lombardo
CEI Executive Officer

2.  Different historic background
 Different size and economic strength
 Diversified socio-political evolution since 1989
 Today, different status vis-à-vis the EU (9 EU members plus candidates,
potential candidates, eastern neighbours…)
 One common mission: regional cooperation for European integration
 Combining its own instruments with those made available by the
European Commission and other European Financial Institutions to meet
the requirements of the CEI members
Central European Initiative: 18 Member States

3. The CEI distinctive character
 The oldest and largest intergovernmental forum for regional
cooperation, active in the region since more than 20 years
 Over the years, the CEI has developed its personal blend of
multilateral diplomacy and project management
 Multilateral diplomacy: the CEI acts as a permanent institutional
platform where political dialogue between and among its
Member States is constantly promoted and enhanced
 Project Management: the CEI has developed a strong project-
oriented approach for the ultimate benefit of its Member States

4. CEI
DONOR
providing
resources
RECIPIENT
attracting
resources
Cooperation Fund
Know-How
Exchange
Programme
EU FUNDS
A two-fold approach to project-oriented regional
cooperation

5. The CEI provides financial resources through the following
instruments and funds:
1. The CEI Cooperation Fund
2. The Know-How Exchange Programme
A donor institution

6.  Funded by all Member States, it supports seminars, workshops,
conferences, training courses with a strong multilateral/regional
character. The CEI contribution aims at enabling mobility of
participants and promote people-to-people contacts
 Since 2002, almost 700 co-financed activities in various fields such
as Human Resources Development, Cultural Cooperation, Science
and Technology, Information Society and Media
 Co-funding of €6.5 million supporting activities for a total value of
about €44,2 million: all CEI Member States contribute to the
Cooperation Fund based on a scale of contributions
 An estimated mobility of about 3.000 participants per year
The CEI Cooperation Fund

7.  Mission: to support transfer of knowledge and experience
from EU to non-EU countries within the CEI region (donor-
recipient scheme)
 Since 2004, €2 million committed for KEP Projects by Italy and
Austria
 About 70 KEP projects financed so far for an overall value of
nearly €5 million in areas of cooperation such as European
integration, agriculture, energy, environment, infrastructure
planning and development
The Know-How Exchange Programme

8.  CEI active in the field of EU project management since 2004: a
unique feature by comparison to other ROs
 Between 2004 and 2012, 13 projects implemented, out of
which 2 as Lead Partner
 Projects financed by various EU programmes, such as: 6th
and
7th
Framework Programmes; INTERREG IIIB; INTERACT;
INTERRREG IVC; Culture 2007-2013; Adriatic New
Neighbourhood Programme; European Programme for
Critical Infrastructure Protection; South-East Europe
Programme
A recipient institution

9.  Main CEI role: partner in charge of dissemination of results
and transnational networking + project management
 CEI financial contribution: €280.000
 Financial resources administered by the CEI: €3,8 million
 Total value: €16 million EUR (€1 invested by the CEI
contributed to mobilize €59 of EU resources)
2004 – 2012: 13 projects implemented

10.  10 projects currently under implementation, out of which 4 as
Lead Partner, i.e. the CEI in charge of project management and
coordination of project consortia
 Projects financed by various EU programmes: 7th
Framework
Programme; South-East Europe Programme; Cross-Border
Programme Italy – Slovenia; IPA Regional Programme 2010;
Intelligent Energy Europe; Central Europe Programme
 Transport, accessibility, regional cooperation, energy, research
and innovation; intercultural cooperation
10 projects under implementation

11.  CEI financial contribution: 425.000 EUR
 Financial resources administered by the CEI: 6,8 million EUR
 Total value: about 22,6 million EUR (multiplier effect: 53)
10 projects under implementation

12.  Further CEI involvement in EU programmes: 26 project-
proposals submitted between 2011 and 2012 (7 approved)
 Dedicated staff: 6 working units in Trieste plus 2 in Sarajevo:
ability to design and manage projects and international
consortia
 CEI participation in the elaboration of EU macro-regional
strategies and strengthening of the CEI relationship with EU
institutions: mandate by the CEI Ministers of Foreign Affairs to
reach a cooperation agreement with the European
Commission
Future prospects

13. Mission: to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation in the CEI area
 Member institutions which are international by statute:
‒ International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology - ICGEB
‒ International Centre for Theoretical Physics – ICTP
 Member institutions which are international by vocation:
‒ International School for Advanced Scientific Studies – SISSA
‒ Synchrotron Elettra and Free Electron Laser Fermi
‒ Consortium Area Science Park (AREA)
‒ Cluster in Biomedicine (CBM)
‒ National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS)
60 fellowships and about 100 activities such as trainings, workshops,
conferences, research projects
About €2 million earmarked by the CEI
Focus: The CEI Science and Technology Network

14.  2 CEI Ministerial Meetings organized in 2011 and
2012
 “Trieste Declaration” (2011) for the development of
cooperation between the scientific communities in
CEI MS and the institutions of the CEI Science &
Technology Network
 Final Communiqué (2012): CEI active participation in
EUSDR PA7 (to develop the Knowledge Society
through research, education and information
technologies); mobility of researchers along the lines
of CERES
At Institutional level: CEI Ministerial Meetings on S&T

15.  CERES – CEI Research Fellowship Programme (2009 – 2014,
FP7-COFUND)
 Regional priority: transnational mobility of researchers;
integration of the WBCs and EEC in the European Research
Area (ERA)
 Main results achieved:
4 calls for proposals finalized
102 applications submitted from 16 CEI MS (22,5% from WBCs)
30 applications selected from 11 CEI MS (26,6% from WBCs:
Croatia – 4 fellowships; Serbia – 3 fellowships; Bosnia and
Herzegovina – 1 fellowship)
At project level: CERES, a CEI success story

16. Among Horizon 2020 specific measures: to
stimulate cross-border science networks
Mobility (both transnational and intersectoral)
through networking of institutions: from “brain
drain” to “brain circulation”
Marie Curie Actions (supporting career
development and training of researchers through
worldwide mobility and skills development)
Main future opportunity: Horizon 2020

17. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION!
Alessandro Lombardo
CEI Executive Secretariat
Trieste (Italy)
lombardo@cei.int
+39 040 7786744
www.cei.int