CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE

Transcription

1 CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE Funding and networking opportunities for regional cooperation Alessandro Lombardo CEI Secretariat 1 st Danube: Future Workshop Klagenfurt, 8-10 April 2015

2 What is the CEI? An intergovernmental forum for regional coopera9on, established in 1989 by Italy, Austria, Hungary and former Yugoslavia The largest in terms of geographical coverage: currently, the CEI membership includes 18 countries with a total popula9on of over 250 million, a diversified socio- poli9cal evolu9on since 1989 and a different status vis- à- vis the EU 10 EU members 4 candidates (Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) 1 poten9al candidate (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 3 countries involved in European Neighbourhood Policy (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine) Mul9- faceted geopoli9cal and economic context Different EU Policies addressing the CEI Area: Enlargement Policy (Western Balkans), European Neighbourhood Policy (Eastern Europe), Regional/Cohesion Policy All exis9ng and future EU macro- regional strategies involving CEI Member States: Bal9c (1), Danube (13), Adria9c- Ionian (7), Alpine (3)

3 CEI Membership

4 What does the CEI pursue? Main Ins9tu9onal Mission Regional Cooperation for European Integration Strategic Objectives Support CEI Member States on their path towards European integra9on Promote alignment of CEI Member States to EU standards Implement small and medium- sized projects

5 How does the CEI pursue its goals? Methodology Combination of multilateral diplomacy and operations intergovernmental dialogue and confidence- building support to intergovernmental dialogue enhanced by a strong project- oriented approach CEI annually- rota9ng Presidency (Macedonia, 2015; BIH, 2016) CEI Summit CEI MFA Mee9ng Sectorial ministerial mee9ngs Commibee of CEI Na9onal Coordinators Fund management: CEI Trust Fund at the EBRD + CEI Coopera9on Fund Programme management (KEP) EU Project management (design and implementa9on)

6 Focus on CEI project- oriented approach Donor (fund and programme management) CEI Coopera9on Fund Coopera9on Ac9vi9es + Training Programme for Young Officials CEI CEI Trust Fund at the EBRD Technical Coopera9on + Know- How Exchange Programme Recipient EU Projects Networking Science & Technology Network + Universi9es + Networks of Focal Points + Other sectorial networks The CEI is both donor (of its own resources, mostly provided by Italy) and recipient (of EU funds). It is also a promoter of transnadonal networks in the areas of cooperadon tackled by its Plan of Ac0on

7 CEI Plan of Ac9on themadc pillars, in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, encompassing 10 areas of cooperadon 1. Towards a Knowledge- based Society (Research and Innova9on; Life- long Educa9on and Training; Informa9on Society) 2. Towards a Sustainable Economy and Development (Transport, Logis9cs and Accessibility; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Climate, Environment and Rural Development; SMEs and Business Development) 3. Towards an Inclusive Society (Intercultural Coopera9on; Media; Civil Society) For each area, 2/3 priori9es and related ac9ons agreed upon by the 18 CEI Member States

8 CEI Coopera9on Fund ü Financed by all Member States, it provides grants in support to seminars, workshops, conferences, training courses (small in scale and limited in 9me) ü Main objec5ve: transna9onal mobility of par9cipants ü Since its incep5on in 2002: about 880 ac9vi9es co- financed (among which the 1 st Danube:Future Workshop) with around 8 million an es9mated 5,000 par9cipants take part in the events every year

9 CEI Coopera9on Fund: basic func9oning & condi9ons ü Yearly Calls for Proposals: launched on 20 March, deadline on 20 May 2015 (project implementa9on in 2016) ü Mandatory condi5ons for eligibility of proposals: Plan of Ac5on: ac9vity needs to be in line with CEI Plan of Ac9on Par5cipa5on quorum: involvement of at least 6 CEI Member States (regional character) Maximum CEI contribu5on: up to 50% of total cost of project Eligible applicants public and private en99es registered in CEI MS, interna9onal and regional organisa9ons Eligible ac5vi5es: conferences, seminars, workshops, training ac9vi9es Eligible expenses: i.e. travel and accommoda9on of par9cipants and speakers of CEI Member States. Catering and subsistence expenses. Prin9ng and transla9ons of publica9ons. Rental of conference rooms and audio- visual equipment Alignment of proposals with priorides of MRS APs (EUSDR; EUSBR; EUSAIR), SEE2020 and EaP is an asset ü Selec5on process of applica5ons: Administra9ve and eligibility check on compa9bility to CEI Rules and Call for Proposal requirements by Secretariat. Shortlisted proposals submibed for merit and technical assessment to Network of CEI Focal Points. Ac9vi9es eventually submibed to CEI Commibee of Na9onal Coordinators for final approval hbp:// ac9vi9es

10 Open Call: CEI Coopera9on Fund

11 KEP: basic func9oning & condi9ons ü ü ü Yearly Calls for Proposals: launched 30 March, deadline on 1 st June (first step) Type of ac5vi5es: bilateral/trilateral know- how transfer projects (donor/beneficiary rela9on) Priority Areas: KEP ITALY: European integra9on and capacity building; Agriculture, energy and environment; Infrastructure planning and development KEP AUSTRIA: European integra9on and capacity building; social and economic development, inclusion and equality; agriculture, environment and climate change ü ü ü Maximum contribu5on: up to 50% of total project cost, within ceiling established by the Call ( for KEP AUSTRIA) Eligible applicants: organisa9ons registered in CEI Member States Eligible beneficiary(ies): the beneficiary(ies) shall be organisa9ons registered in CEI non- EU Member States ü Selec5on process of applica5ons: Administra9ve and eligibility check on compa9bility to CEI Rules and Call for Proposal requirements by Secretariat. Shortlisted applica9ons - evaluated according to a merit point system published within the calls - eventually submibed to CEI Commibee of Na9onal Coordinators for final approval

12 Open Call: KEP- Austria

13 EU Projects ü Main objec5ve: to implement the CEI Plan of Ac9on through addi9onal project- oriented ac9vi9es funded by the EU ü CEI involvement in EU project management since 2004 ü A permanent Unit for EU Projects within the CEI Secretariat for project design and project implementa9on ü CEI par9cipates as both Lead Partner and Project Partner (project management; dissemina9on/communica9on; awareness raising at ins9tu9onal level etc.) ü 23 projects implemented; 6 under implementa9on; project proposals under elabora9on ü Experience in ETC programmes + programmes under direct management (i.e. FP7/ H2020) ü Main areas of interven5on: interregional and cross- border coopera9on, transport, energy, sustainable development, informa9on society, SMEs, civil protec9on, culture, higher educa9on, science and technology

14 The Danube- INCO.NET project: crea9ng and improving networks in research and innova9on

15 The Danube- INCO.NET project: basic data Coordina5on and Support Ac5on for Interna9onal Coopera9on in Research and Innova9on Project start: January 1, 2014 Project dura5on: 36 months Received funding from the European Union s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstra9on (FP7) EC funding: approx. 2 mio Support to EUSDR PA7 (where CEI holds an observer status) and PA8

16 19 partners

17 from 14 countries

18 Implemen9ng a structured project WP1 Project Management WP2 Policy Dialogue WP3 Tackling Societal Challenges: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in a Bio- based Economy WP4 Analy5cal Evidence on Research and Innova9on in the Danube Region WP5 Promo5ng Innova5ve and Inclusive Danube Socie5es WP6 Scaling up Danube Funding Mechanisms WP7 Communica5on and Dissemina5on

19 Sharing informa9on Crea9ng a Plaporm inco.net and a newsleber that enhance the informa9on exchange on Research and Innova9on in the Danube Region around 4000 visitors per month on the web portal about 7,5 informa9on items published per day bi- weekly newsleber: informa9on service conveying all news, calls, events, etc. published on the project website, with 11,973 subscribers/recipients Facebook: 500 fans so far Twiber: 72 followers and about 260 tweets LinkedIN also available

20 Thank you!