The Central European Initiative (CEI) is the oldest and largest intergovernmental forum for regional cooperation in Europe. It holds observer status with the United Nations General Assembly (Resolution 66/111 of 9 December 2011).
The origins of the CEI date back to the establishment of the Quadrangular Group in Budapest on 11 November 1989. The founding states were Austria, Hungary, Italy and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On this occasion, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the four founding members adopted a joint declaration expressing the willingness of their governments to strengthen good neighbourly relations and to develop cooperation among their countries.
In 1990, Czechoslovakia joined the Initiative, which was subsequently renamed the Pentagonal Group. In 1991, with the accession of Poland, it became the Hexagonal Group.
In 1992, a number of new countries were admitted, and the organisation was officially renamed the Central European Initiative (CEI). The enlargement process continued in 1993 and 1996, and between 2000 and 2006. With the accession of Montenegro, the total number of member states increased to eighteen. In 2018, Austria announced its intention to renounce its status as a CEI member state.
The main objective of the CEI is to strengthen cooperation among countries in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, while focusing on their preparation for future accession to the European Union.
The Initiative operates in a flexible manner and includes a range of interaction formats aimed at promoting intergovernmental, interparliamentary and business cooperation.
The CEI Secretariat is based in Trieste.
The Republic of Moldova became a CEI member on 8 November 1996, at the CEI Summit of Heads of Government held in Graz.
In 2008, Moldova held the CEI Presidency-in-Office (PiO) for the first time since obtaining membership. During its Presidency, Moldova worked to strengthen cooperation between EU and non-EU CEI member states, facilitate the transfer of expertise and provide targeted assistance in areas relevant to relations with the European Union. In this context, Moldova supported the effective use of opportunities offered by the CEI, translated into concrete projects, and encouraged the promotion of democratic values and European standards as a solid mechanism for development across the region.
In 2021, the Republic of Moldova marked 25 years since its accession to the Central European Initiative. During this period, as a member state, Moldova benefited from multiple technical assistance projects in innovative fields such as transport, connectivity, green energy, infrastructure, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, institutional capacity-building and others.
In 2023, the Republic of Moldova held its second CEI Presidency-in-Office. During this mandate, it promoted four strategic objectives: European integration; support for Ukraine and addressing the consequences of the war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine; post-pandemic recovery; and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, Moldova’s Presidency actively contributed to facilitating parliamentary cooperation, supporting economic recovery, and promoting interaction in the areas of health, connectivity, scientific cooperation and the youth agenda.
The CEI is an intergovernmental forum that promotes political, economic, cultural and scientific cooperation among its member states. Its core mission is Regional Cooperation for European Integration.
In this context, the political cooperation objective is to provide countries and their institutions with a flexible and pragmatic platform for regional cooperation, while focusing on their preparation for future accession to the European Union (EU).
Special attention is given to strengthening the capacities of CEI non-EU member states which, due to their advantageous geographical location, benefit from the transfer of know-how and exchange of experience between EU member states and non-EU countries. The CEI is actively involved in supporting projects across various areas of cooperation, including through the mobilisation of financial resources that enhance opportunities for the study, financing and implementation of national and international projects.
CEI Objectives
- strengthening cooperation between EU and non-EU member states;
- reinforcing good neighbourly relations;
- intensifying multilateral economic cooperation, with an emphasis on cross-border and interregional cooperation, modernisation of transport, communication and energy infrastructure, and the promotion of trade and investment;
- promoting cooperation in the fields of environmental protection, tourism and agriculture;
- promoting cultural projects aimed at strengthening people-to-people contacts and enhancing mutual understanding of the cultural specificities of each member state;
- developing civil society.
- Climate, environment and sustainable energy
- Entrepreneurial development, including tourism
- Cooperation in science and education
- Good governance
- Information society and media
- Intercultural cooperation, including minorities
- Multimodal transport
- Science and technology
- Sustainable agriculture
- Interregional and cross-border cooperation
The intergovernmental dimension ensures political and economic guidance and is responsible for the organisational and financial directives of the Initiative. It comprises the following bodies:
- Meeting of Heads of Government (CEI Summit): adopts decisions on political and economic cooperation orientations within the CEI, approves multiannual action plans, decides on the establishment and dissolution of working structures, and on the acquisition or loss of membership status;
- Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (MFA Meeting): decides on regional political issues, areas and forms of cooperation, working structures, budgetary and staffing matters, and appoints the Secretary General and Deputy Secretaries General of the Executive Secretariat;
- Meetings of the Committee of National Coordinators (CNC): the main body responsible for managing CEI cooperation and coordinating the development of programmes and selection of regional projects; prepares documents for approval by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs or the CEI Summits;
- Meetings of line ministers for specific sectors;
- Networks of contact points, project implementation groups and ad hoc working groups;
- Executive Secretariat: coordinates the activities of the Organisation, provides assistance and is responsible for the development and implementation of EU-funded projects.
Interparliamentary cooperation is carried out through meetings of representatives of the Parliaments of CEI Member States (Parliamentary Assembly, Parliamentary Committees and specialised committees).
Representatives of the business community meet within the business dimension of the CEI.
Overall coordination of activities is ensured by the Presidency-in-Office, held by a member state on a rotating basis for a one-year term.
The seat of the CEI Executive Secretariat is located in Trieste, Italy, and is headed by a Secretary General. The current Secretary General is Franco Dal Mas, who began his mandate in 2025.
A CEI Project Secretariat operates at the headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London, providing assistance in the preparation of project financing applications. The Project Secretariat is institutionally linked to the Executive Secretariat in Trieste and focuses primarily on the promotion of investment projects.
Financial support for the functioning of the Secretariat and the CEI Fund Office at the EBRD is provided by Italy.
Currently, the CEI comprises:
- 9 EU Member States: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary
- 8 non-EU Member States: Albania, Belarus*, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine
*Note: In 2022, CEI member states decided to suspend the Republic of Belarus from exercising its representation rights within the organisation, following the country’s actions in support of the aggression against Ukraine.
Launched in 2004, the Know-how Exchange Programme aims to support the transfer of know-how from EU CEI member states to non-EU CEI member states. Particular emphasis is placed on areas in which donor institutions have extensive experience and beneficiary states demonstrate a strong need for assistance.
The Programme is open to public and private sector entities, international organisations and non-governmental organisations operating in the public interest.
More information on CEI projects: https://www.cei.int