CEI in Brussels: “Regional cooperation is the key to European enlargement”

Brussels – Amid Europe’s geopolitical tensions and rising risks of fragmentation, regional cooperation has become a central theme in discussions of European integration. This issue was the focus of the visit to Brussels by the Secretary-General of the European Centre Initiative (CEI), Franco Dal Mas. The meeting comes just days after the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro, which reaffirmed the strategic value of enlargement for the stability and security of the continent. A process in which CEI, the oldest regional organisation in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, claims a role as a “facilitator between EU Member States and candidate countries.”

“On 17 March, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the CEI Secretariat, and on that occasion the foreign ministers of the member countries recognised the Organisation’s role as a facilitator of the European path for non-EU countries. “This is why we want to strengthen our dialogue with the European Commission and complement its work ever more closely,” Dal Mas stated outside the Berlaymont Building. “Regional cooperation is never at odds with European policies, but makes them more effective and closer to citizens. CEI operates through capacity-building, connectivity, and institutional strengthening projects, providing concrete support for the Western Balkans’ integration process,” he added. 

During the visit, Dal Mas met with officials from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (ENEST) and the permanent representatives of Italy and Romania. The talks focused on CEI’s contribution to bringing candidate countries closer to the European Union through cooperation programmes, skills transfer, and institutional development. 

There was also a mention of Ukraine, which will take over the rotating presidency of the CEI next year. “The defence of Ukraine is today, more than ever, the defence of Europe,” stated Dal Mas, emphasising that the stability of the continent and the future reconstruction of the country represent a decisive challenge for the European project. The mission to Brussels thus aims to confirm CEI’s ambition to strengthen its role in the enlargement process, transforming regional cooperation into a concrete tool in the service of European integration.