Founded in 1989, the CEI is a regional intergovernmental forum committed to supporting European integration through cooperation among its Member States. It combines multilateral diplomacy and project management, both as donor and recipient, while bridging European macro-regions.
The Central European Initiative (CEI), founded in Budapest on 11 November 1989, is a regional intergovernmental forum committed to supporting European integration through cooperation between and among its Member States and with the European Union (EU), other interested public institutions or private and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as international and regional organisations. In order to offer a solid contribution to European integration, the CEI combines multilateral diplomacy and project management, both as donor and recipient. Its institutional and geographical position enables the CEI to act as a bridge between macro-regions.
The CEI strategic objectives are the following:
-Supporting CEI Member States on their path towards European integration;
-Promoting the alignment of CEI Member States with EU standards;
-Implementing small and medium-sized projects; and
-Converting constructive ideas into innovative results.
IECOB has collaborated with CEI in many capacities for a number of years. Their most notable collaboration is the organization of the CEI International Summer School, now in its 21st year, which takes place every September in Cervia, Italy. The school brings students from Central and Eastern European countries together for two weeks of lectures, workshops, and discussions on European Enlargement and the New Neighbourhood.