Open Calls

The National Coordinators have recently approved six new Technical Cooperation Projects (TCs), to be funded under the CEI Fund at the EBRD, entirely financed by the Italian Government. The approved projects have an overall value of 943,290 EUR, with an expected related investment amounting to 293.4 million EUR.

The CEI-led project CONNECT2CE “Improved rail connections and smart mobility in Central Europe” concluded in a virtual conference held on 28 May.

Following the Final Conference of the Interreg Central Europe SENTINEL project on 19 May, the CEI – Executive Secretariat held a virtual stakeholders’ meeting yesterday, showing the sustainability of the project.

The health experts engaged in the joint CEI-WHO Task Force meeting held on May 20 discussed the latest information on the development of COVID-19 outbreak in the CEI region and tabled options to bring it under control in the transition phase.

The Project MIMOSA (MarItime and MultimOdal Sustainable pAssenger transport solutions and services) - led by the CEI-ES in cooperation with 17 other project partners from Italy and Croatia - has recently been approved under the Interreg Italy-Croatia CBC Programme strategic call.

The SENTINEL final conference virtually held amidst the effects of the Pandemic on 19 May, strongly influenced the main topics which focused on challenges and opportunities for Social Enterprises (SEs) in this changed world, and on how the SENTINEL results could help to revitalise them.

The CEI Heads of Government held an Extraordinary Virtual Meeting to address the COVID-19 emergency on 15 May chaired by Duško Marković, Prime Minister of Montenegro. Opening statements were also delivered by Roberto Antonione, CEI Secretary General, and Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

The CEI- Executive Secretariat (CEI-ES) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe have joined efforts by setting up a functioning Task Force composed of key health officials from CEI Member States to respond to the COVID-19.

The Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi met with SG Roberto Antonione in a conference call on 24 April, in order to exchange views on activities of joint interest with a special focus on the response to COVID-19, including possible concerted actions.

Around 150 people from different countries had the chance to exchange ideas and suggest recommendations on the bioeconomy strategy as well as provide inputs on related action plans during the second of a series of four webinars on “Shaping Innovation Ecosystem for the Bioeconomy”.

Due to the pandemic caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, the core activities and services have been severely weakened worldwide. In light of the difficulties affecting schools, working environments, and the healthcare system in particular, the CEI wishes to promptly support its Member States by launching an Extraordinary Call for Proposals tackling specific needs at the local level.

The FORTIS project - supported under the Interreg Italy - Slovenia Programme 2014 - 2020 - was officially launched on 9 March.

A policy discussion on demographic challenges in the Western Balkans was organised by the Slovene Centre for European Perspective (CEP) under its flagship youth project, the Young Bled Strategic Forum in cooperation with the CEI-Executive Secretariat.

The transfer of know-how on market coupling initiatives among EU Member States to the National Regulatory Authorities of Albania (ERE), Energy Water Services Regulatory Commission of North Macedonia (ERC), Montenegro (REGAGEN) and Serbia (AERS) is the main objective of the third phase of the Know-how Exchange Programme project “CEI support for strengthening Energy Regulatory Authorities in the Western Balkans” launched in Sofia on 21 February.