Website: www.ceinet.org

The CEI Heads of Government at their Summit meeting held in Sofia on 27 November 2007 decided the setting up of the CEI Special Fund for Climate and Environment Protection. The objective of the Fund is to promote projects in the area of climate and environment protection in the non-EU CEI Member States.

First Call for Proposals for Projects in Climate and Environment Protection in CEI Countries.

In 2008, the CEI announced the first Call for Proposals for Projects in the sector of climate and environment protection. Projects will be financed from the CEI Special Fund for Climate and Environment Protection, with funding made available from the Czech Republic.

First Call closing date: 30 September 2008.

Use of the Fund

The CEI Special Fund for Climate and Environment Protection will be used for projects in the area of climate and environment protection, to the benefit of the non-EU CEI Member States: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine.

In particular, it will support activities conducive to:

• Increasing energy efficiency
• Improving and disseminating environmentally friendly technologies
• Fostering research and development in the area of renewable energy
• Rendering new technologies of sustainable energy use economically viable
• Supporting the transfer of transport of both persons and goods to more energy efficient modes of traffic
• Sanitation of old ecological burdens
• Waste management
• Drinking water supply, water management
• Raising awareness for reaching these goals in terms of training and educational measures.

Eligible activities

The following type of activities apply: feasibility studies, development plans, audits, expert analysis, consulting, exchange of staff, expert meetings, study tours and trainings, know-how transfer, research grants, small climate and energy relevant technical improvements etc. Activities which prepare the ground for lending of International Financial Institutions or other development banks will be supported on a preferential basis.

The applicants have to be from one of the 18 CEI Member States: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Beneficiaries of the activities have to be the CEI countries which are not EU Member States: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine.

How to Apply

Details of how to apply can be found online at: www.ceinet.org/main.php?pageID=399