Italy is a founding member and an important contributor of both the CEI and the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development). In this framework, in 1992 it established the CEI Fund at the EBRD, acknowledging the great opportunity the newly created development bank represented for the CEI and its objectives.
The Office for the CEI Fund at the EBRD was established as an operational body for ensuring constant dialogue among the CEI - Executive Secretariat, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the EBRD on all issues related to the administration of the Fund. It was created to assist the Bank’s countries of operation in central and eastern Europe in their economic and social transformation process. Since its inception, Italy has allocated 55 million EUR.
The Fund is currently supporting two programmes: