On 7 May 20206 a delegation from the CEI - Executive Secretariat, led by Secretary General Franco Dal Mas, carried out a mission to London for a series of meetings at the headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The discussions focused on the coordination of activities under the CEI Fund at the EBRD, financed by Italy, and on future cooperation prospects across CEI Member States, with particular attention to the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova.
The delegation – which also included the Italian CEI National Coordinator Alfredo Durante Mangoni and Elisabetta Dovier – met with senior management and operational teams of the EBRD to discuss shared priorities ahead of the preparation of the new CEI Action Plan 2027–2030.
Established in 1992 and financed by Italy, the CEI Fund at the EBRD represents the Organisation’s main operational instrument. With more than EUR 61.5 million in Italian contributions allocated to date, the Fund has become an effective financial mechanism supporting technical cooperation, know-how transfer and the European integration process of non-EU CEI Member States, while also promoting sustainable growth, good governance and regional cooperation across Central and South-Eastern Europe.
Alongside thematic priorities related to energy transition and sustainable infrastructure, a specific focus of the London meetings was dedicated to Ukraine, also in view of the CEI Presidency that Kyiv is expected to assume in 2027. The aim is to accompany this phase with concrete projects in the areas of resilience, reconstruction and institutional strengthening, in close coordination with the EBRD.
“The CEI Fund at the EBRD is a fundamental instrument for turning political priorities into concrete results. Strengthening its operational capacity at this stage means providing tangible support to the countries of the region and contributing to international efforts, starting from Ukraine, where resilience and reconstruction represent a shared priority,” stated Secretary General Franco Dal Mas.
The exchange with the EBRD also provided an opportunity to align strategic priorities on key areas including regional connectivity, climate transition, agribusiness, economic governance policies, inclusion, sustainable infrastructure, digitalisation and SME competitiveness.
The opportunities linked to the CEI Fund at the EBRD will be further explored during two presentation events scheduled for next month in Milan and Rome. The events will focus respectively on the Fund’s two financing windows – Technical Assistance and Feasibility Studies, and the Know-how Exchange Programme (KEP) – with representatives of the Bank also presenting the EBRD’s new procurement policy. Both events will showcase selected success stories demonstrating the impact of the Fund across the region.
Through its Technical Cooperation Programme, which has financed more than 200 projects for a total value of EUR 38 million and generated a significant leverage effect on mobilised international investments, as well as through the Know-how Exchange Programme (KEP), which since 2004 has supported over 170 projects, the Fund has contributed substantially to institutional capacity building and reform processes in CEI countries.
The mission, carried out in coordination with the Embassy of Italy in London, concluded with an informative briefing for the newly appointed Ambassador of Italy to the United Kingdom, Fabio Cassese.
For more info: dovier@cei.int
