CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE

1. CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE 1st Annual Meeting of the CEI EastAgri Network Rome, 28 February 2005 Presentation by Vincenzo Calogero, Head of CEI Project Secretariat www.ceinet.org

2. HISTORY 1989 In Budapest, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Yugoslavia gave birth to the quadrilateral co-operation. 1990 Entry of Czechoslovakia (pentagonal group). Entry of Poland (hexagonal group) and establishment of the link with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development with a joint Secretariat for CEI Projects. 1991 1992 Entry of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia. The organisation becameCentral European Initiative. 1993 Entry of Macedonia andof the two new independent Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. Entry of Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova. The CEI agreed on guidelines for activities and rules of procedures. In Trieste the CEI Centre for Information and Documentation (CID) was opened and a project-oriented methodology for the CEI co-operation was agreed. 1995-96 1997 The CEI-CID became CEI-Executive Secretariat. 2000 Entry of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. www.ceinet.org

3. MEMBER STATES ALBANIA AUSTRIA BELARUS BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA BULGARIA CROATIA CZECH REPUBLIC HUNGARY ITALY MACEDONIA MOLDOVA POLAND ROMANIA SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO SLOVAKIA SLOVENIA UKRAINE www.ceinet.org

4. CEI Strategy The CEI programme and projects in the various fields of activity are intended to contribute, within the overall CEI strategy of cohesion and solidarity in Europe, to the realisation of the three principal CEI objectives: • to strengthen co-operation between Member States; • to strengthen the process of economic transformation • of the CEI countries in transition; • to strengthen the participation of all member States to the process of European integration. www.ceinet.org

5. Overview CEI Web Site: www.ceinet.org www.ceinet.org

6. Organisational Structure • Summit of Heads of Governments (annual) • Ministers of Economic Sectors and Summit • Economic Forum (annual) • Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (annual) • Meeting of Political Directors of MFAs (annual) • Committee of National Coordinators (monthly) • Sectorial Ministerial Meetings www.ceinet.org

7. Central European Initiative Project/Programme supported by the CEI Projects CEI Projects

8. Central European Initiative Project/Programme supported by the CEI Projects CEI Projects

9. Central European Initiative CEI – EastAgri connections EaastAgri connections • Business partnerships in agriculture: investor • meets investor (P.O.M.) • Capacity building to promote agricultural development: • donors meet beneficiaries (KEP); distribution/ quality • systems (WMF) • Employment: local sub-contracting, microfinancing USING: • The power of information: visibility, access to • opportunities, LDN (knowledge intermediaries) • The power of people networks: investors, private sector (CECCI, C.o.A.), technology (consultants, academics), financial sector, government, international organisations (SEF, C.A.s, WG)

10. Central European Initiative CEI activities in agriculture Agriculture Activities in agriculture • Meetings of Working Group on Agriculture • (e.g. twice yearly) • Meetings of CEI Ministers of Agriculture(NOV 05, SEP 04, SEP 02 ….) • Support to Co-operation Activities (e.g. Agriest Udine, • Phitosanitary Portoroz,…) • Technical Co-operation with IFIs and International Organisations (Wholesale Markets, EastAgri, Microfinancing, …)

11. Central European Initiative Agriculture WM Foundation CEI Wholesale Markets Foundation www.ceiwmfoundation.org FAO/CEI-EBRD founded project to help newly created wholesale market companies in Eastern and Central Europe improve and develop their operations • improvement in market operations • improvement in services to attract large-scale, • modern retailers • exchange of information, good practices and experience

12. Central European Initiative NETWORKING FORMS POM Networking Forms CEI economic cooperation creates a network of people with shared interests CEI permanent network of members and projects CEI match-making at the CEI Summit Economic Forum • Organization Summary • (Organisation data; products, services, activities; countries of • interest; organization structure; what they offer and what • they look for) • Investment Project Summary (Project description; Sponsors; Total project cost, funding • available and requested; annual gross revenue) • Technical Cooperation Summary • (Technical assistance required for an investment project, • e.g. feasibility study; Seminar, workshop, or institutional • programme)

13. Central European Initiative POM CEI Project Database www.ceinet.org EXPERTS SEF INVESTORS PROJECTGUIDE CEI PROJECT DATABASE IFIs LOCAL INTERMEDIARIES/ BANKS INVESTMENT PROMOTION AGENCIES/ CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

14. Central European Initiative THE EIGHTHCEI SUMMIT ECONOMIC FORUMBRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA, 22-24 NOVEMBER 2005Sharing knowledge in business- Business and financial community - entrepreneurs investing in central and eastern Europe- Co-organised with the Slovakian CEI Presidency - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and the Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Slovakia - sponsored by the Italian Government.- International fora such as the EU, OECD, FAO, UNECE (also with TEM, TER), UNIDO, EBRD, World Bank (also with IFC, MIGA), Council of Europe Development Bank, Stability Pact as well as by Chambers of Commerce, Euroregions, Investment Promotion Agencies such as ICE (Institute for Foreign Trade, Italy)… 8th Summit Economic Forum www.ceinet.org

15. Central European Initiative 8th Summit Economic Forum CEI Forum – Project Dimension CEI Forum – Project Dimension Over the past six years, the Forum has created a network of information and personal contacts where project opportunities can be identified, promoted and strengthened through cooperation arrangements • PROJECT ROOM • (Computer Database consultation) • PROJECTS PRESENTATIONS (presentations by project promoters also available for • bilateral meetings and documented by posters and • publications) • PUBLISHED PROJECTS(Publication available to all participants)

16. Central European Initiative 8th Summit Economic Forum Forum Networking Activities Forum Networking Activities • Interactive Business Area – IBA (business info desks for • practical advice to SMEs, exhibitor stands and promotional • desks, “virtual presentations” • Focused meetings (informal, ad hoc meetings, sometimes • arranged on the spot, 10-20 participants in a small room) • Bilateral meetings (two organisations meeting in a small • room, or informal meetings at stands) • Social events (evening receptions and concerts for • networking) • Match making (Networking Forms used during the year, • personal contacts at the Forum, assisted by special software • and a “match-making desks”) • Internet pages for past and future Summit Economic For a (www.ceinet.org/SEF)

17. Central European Initiative Forum Participants Summit Economic Forum Forum Participants • The business community, companies, entrepreneurs, • industry leaders • Government agencies • International fora such as the EU, OECD, FAO, UNECE • (also with TEM, TER), UNIDO, EBRD, World Bank (also • with IFC, MIGA), Council of Europe Development Bank, • Stability Pact • Chambers of Commerce, Euroregions, Investment • Promotion Agencies • Technology institutes • Consultants, academics, professionals • The press

18. Central European Initiative Contacts CEI in agriculture Contacts • CEI Trieste • Adrian Keler, e-mail: keler@cei-es.org, tel. +39 040 7786 732 • EBRD (CEI Secretariat) London • Cinzia Pica, e-mail: picac@ebrd.com, tel. +44 20 7338 7471 • CEI Working Group on Agriculture • Prof. Janina Sawicka (Chair), Warsaw, e-mail: sawicka@alpha.sggw.waw.pl, tel. +48 22 843 90 41 ext. 34013 • Wholesale Markets Foundation, Warsaw • Bartosz Fabiszewski, e-mail info@ceiwmfoundation.org, tel. +48 604171 701 • FAO Rome, Wholesale Markets • Emmanuel Hidier, e-mail: emmanuel.hidier@fao.org, tel. +39 06 57 05 41 94 • FAO Rome, EastAgri Network • Nada Zvekic, e-mail: nada.zvekic@fao.org, tel. +39 06 57 05 54 74