The project “CEI Support to Strengthening the Parliaments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine, in the Context of the EU Accession” officially began on 28 July 2025, with a remote technical kick-off meeting.
The project is led by the Italian Chamber of Deputies in its role as know-how provider in the framework of the CEI Know-how Exchange Programme funded by Italy through the CEI Fund at the EBRD. It aims to enhance the legislative, oversight, and administrative capacities of the parliaments of seven CEI non-EU Member States that are pursuing EU membership.
During the opening meeting, officials from the Italian Chamber of Deputies and representatives of the beneficiary parliaments gathered to fine-tune the implementation details and discuss the practical arrangements for the next phases of the project. This initial technical consultation marked a key milestone in launching the first phase of the project — a joint needs assessment designed to tailor the upcoming workshops and knowledge exchange activities to the specific institutional realities and priorities of each participating parliament.
CEI Secretary General Franco Dal Mas commented “The initiative is part of the CEI long-standing commitment to support the EU integration process of the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine, and builds upon a robust tradition of interparliamentary cooperation and exchange within our Organisation”.
Through peer-to-peer engagement, the project seeks to promote alignment with EU legislation, improve legislative procedures, strengthen the oversight role of parliaments, and reinforce budgetary autonomy and documentary support services.
The next phase of the project, scheduled for autumn 2025, will involve a series of workshops where parliamentary officials from the beneficiary countries will engage directly with their Italian counterparts to share experiences and best practices and it will conclude in January 2026 with a study visit to the Italian Chamber of Deputies by parliamentary officials from the participating countries. A final follow-up phase will include reporting and dissemination activities within each national parliament.
The project is expected to foster deeper interparliamentary cooperation and build strong regional networks among parliamentary administrations. Ultimately, it aims to support institutional development and democratic governance, contributing meaningfully to the EU accession process of the beneficiary countries.
For more info: dovier@cei.int