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This project is financed by the European Union This project is financed by the European Union



Improving Cooperation in South-East Europe by Actions for Strengthening the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)

The project Improving Cooperation in South-East Europe by Actions for Strengthening the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) was designed by the Central European Initiative with the aim to make a concrete contribution to the regional cohesion in South-East Europe (SEE) and to the process of EU enlargement in the Western Balkans. 

Over the last ten years, the number of Regional Initiatives and Task Forces has grown significantly, showing strong demand for regional cooperation in various priority areas. At the same time, lack of communication and coordination has frequently originated overlaps, gaps and ineffective management of resources: hence, the strategic importance of the RCC as a recognized coordinator, supervisor and catalyst of regional cooperation acting as trait d'union with the international community.
 
The CEI intends to support the strengthening of the RCC Secretariat as the driver of regional projects generation, coordination and monitoring, thus achieving a number of relevant objectives for the ultimate benefit of South-East Europe (SEE) as a whole and of all Western Balkan Countries within the region. The ultimate beneficiaries of this action will be the SEE countries, in particular the Western Balkans plus Turkey and Moldova, as they still face significant challenges and are called to quickly pursue EU-related reforms to speed up the process on the path towards the EU.
 
The action aims at making a contribution to the implementation of the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2011 – 2013, while initiating a dialogue on the forthcoming Strategy and Work Programme 2014 – 2016 with the involvement of all stakeholders at regional, European and international level. All proposed activities will seek to spread knowledge on, and increase visibility of, the RCC and its decisive role in the region.
 
The main objective consists in promoting capacity building for: improving strategic planning; identification of priorities for general and sector strategies; capitalisation on lessons learned; follow-up of results achieved by recent and current initiatives; match-making of regional problem-solving approaches with donor resources.
 
The project is financed by the European Union through the Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance – Regional Programme 2010 and will last 24 months (December 2011 – December 2013).
The total budget of the project amounts to 890.000 euro.