CEI Expert Meeting on Tourism “Opportunities of Transnational Tourism Development

1. CEI Expert Meeting on Tourism • “Opportunities of Transnational Tourism Development • in CEI countries” • 6 June 2013, Gödöllő (Budapest) • Support possibilities of thematic tourist developments through CEI funds • Amb. Margit WAESTFELT • CEI Alternate Secretary General

2. Central European Initiative: 18 Member States in 2013 2 • Founded in Budapest in November 1989, by 4 founding members • Today 18 CEI Member States • Different size and economic strength, total population over 250 million • Today, different status versus European Union: 9 EU members (soon 10), candidates, potential candidates, neighbours

3. CEI – Regional Cooperation for European Integration 3 • CEI Mandate: established in Budapest in 1989 as an intergovernmental forum for political, economic and cultural co-operation among itsMember States • Principal objectives: • strengthening co-operation among Member States; • supporting all interested Member States in their endeavours towards further European integration; • strengthen cooperation with the European Union. • Mission: regional cooperation for European integration providing a bridge between macroregions

4. Central European Initiative: Structure 4 • Intergovernmental Dimension (political/economic orientation, organisational guidance) • CEI Presidency; held by Hungary in 2013 • Committee of National Co-ordinators (CNC) • Working bodies (Network of Focal Points, Task Forces, Project Groups) • Meeting of the Heads of Government, Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Meeting of Ministers in specific sectors • ParliamentaryDimension • Parliamentary Assembly and Parliamentary Committees • Business Dimension • Re-launched through a revisited Business Forum and involvement of SMEs and industry • CEI Secretariat • headquarters in Trieste • provides administrative and conceptual support to the CEI structures • overall administration / management of CEI funds, programmes, instruments

5. Support Instruments available for CEI Activities in tourism sector • CEI Cooperation Fund funded by all member states • CEI Know-How Exchange Programme – KEP funded by Italy, Austria and Poland • EU Projects co-financed by European Commission and other partners

6. CEI Cooperation Fund 6 • CEI Cooperation Fund • funded by all Member States • supports seminars, workshops, conferences, training, in all fields of CEI activity • aims at favouring the mobility of participants • Since 2002: • 756 co-financed activities, half of which in the fields of Intercultural Cooperation and Human Resource Development • Co-funding of about € 7,1 million supporting activities for about € 47,6 million • An estimated 5.000 participants per year taking part in Cooperation Activities

7. CEI Cooperation Fund – functioning The annual Call for Proposals for Cooperation Activities launched in spring for activities to be implemented next year Call 2013 now open, deadline 30 June 2013, for activities to be implemented from 1 January to 31 December 2014 The CEI Cooperation Activities are projects of small scale and limited duration, which mainly take the form of seminars, workshops, training courses, study tours Activities should involve several and not less than one third of CEI member states. Involvement of non-EU members is particularly encouraged The CEI co-financing: maximum of 50% of the total project cost and up to the maximum amount of 15.000 EUR 7

8. CEI Cooperation Fund – focus on tourism • Out of 757 Cooperation Activities, 34 are in tourism sector • Half of all CEI Cooperation Activities in tourism sector (17) were supported in the period 2004-2006, when the CEI Working Group on Tourism was operating, projects were developed by Ministries responsible for tourism and National Tourism Organisations: • Austria - rural tourism • Albania - Cultural Tourism, • Croatia – Quality in tourism, • Hungary - Eco-tourism, • Macedonia - sites under UNESCO protection, • Montenegro -  active & extreme tourism • Slovenia - Tourism Satellite Accounts • Recent Cooperation Activity: • International Conference “Sustainability for Competitiveness in Tourism”, Zagreb 22-23 November 2012, organised by UHPA - Association of Croatian Travel Agencies, which gathered travel associations, travel agents, tour operators and other tourism companies 8

9. CEI Know-How Exchange Programme (KEP) • Launched in 2004 to support transfer of know-how and experiences from the EU to the non-EU countries within the CEI region • The priority is the know-how transfer in these fields: • European integration and capacity building • Agriculture, energy and environment • Infrastructure planning and development • Since 2004 a total CEI allocation of more than € 2.2 million for overall value of activities of € 6.3 million • Total of 79 KEP projects, up to € 40.000 each • Usually annual Calls for Proposals

10. CEI Know-How Exchange Programme (KEP) – functioning • Call for Proposals 2013, deadline 17 July 2013 • The KEP projects aim to transfer specific know-how from CEI EU members to CEI non-EU members • Activities include: on-the-job training, secondment of staff, study tours, peer review, consultant and expert advice, assistance in the preparation of strategic documents, technology transfer, workshops, technical assistance… • Activities should involve at least 2 CEI member states (1 EU and 1 non-EU) • Countries acting as know-how providers: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia • Countries acting as know-how beneficiaries: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine. • The CEI co-financing: maximum of 50% of the total project cost and up to the maximum amount of 40.000 EUR

11. CEI Know-How Exchange Programme (KEP) – tourism • 9 out of 79 KEP projects are in tourism sector • Mostly projects in local and regional rural tourism development, rural tourism, agro-tourism, wine tourism • Example of KEP Project in rural tourism • Project “Meeting of EU standards through rural tourism development in Timok Region, Serbia” • Partners: Institute from Slovakia and Regional Development Agency Eastern Serbia • Main goal: to create conditions for development of rural tourism in the Timok region, in compliance with EU trends and standards, that is the role that tourism can play for improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging diversification of the rural economy 11

12. Promotion of EU Projects Co-financed by the EC • CEI acts as promoter and facilitator of project initiatives linking potential beneficiaries from CEI member countries with European funding opportunities • the CEI has become a privileged actor in its relation with EU financing programmes and institutions • 13 projects implemented in 2004 – 2012 • 10 projects currently under implementation • 1 project currently implemented in tourism sector “SEEMORE” project – aims to promote sustainable mobility in tourism regions in Europe

13. Promotion of EU Projects Co-financed by the EC Sustainable and EnergyEfficient Mobility Options inTourist Regions in Europe 13

14. Sustainable and Energy efficient Mobility Options inTourist Regions in Europe - SEEMORE • SEEMORE aims to an increased co-operation between tourism and mobility sectors in order to intensify use of sustainable transport modes • The project will be presented during the afternoon session on sustainable tourism • Integrated tourism and transport approach: sustainable transport for sustainable tourism • CEI role is to involve regions from CEI countries in the project: • Central European seminar to be organised in 2013 and 2014 • in Trieste, in September/October 2013 • CEI will invite tourism regions from CEI countries to share experience • Please send us contacts of tourism regions to participate in the seminar • There is possibility to support participation costs for a limited number of regions

15. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! CEI Headquarters Via Genova 9, Trieste (Italy) www.cei.int cei@cei.int gostisa@cei.int