Sarajevo, October 17, 2008

  The institution of the Unit was in line with the strategy adopted by the Italian Government in the Region and its work is also complementary to the one performed by the other EU Affairs Offices based in Belgrade and Tirana. The European Affairs Unit (EU Desk) was established in October 2006   The establishment of such regional network has facilitated the work of the Italian Development Cooperation in providing a transnational-based support, in accordance with the EU regional strategy for the Western Balkans.

The Unit was created in order to:   Respond to the requests of local & Italian actors interested in developing initiatives in the Region;   Manage, in a more harmonized way, EU financed projects in BiH, in order to avoid overlapping activities;   Facilitate the access to European funds and contribute to the EU integration process in BiH.

  Start-up of the consulting service for the Italian actors of the Development Cooperation in BiH;   Trainings: i.e. Collaboration with Universities aimed at promoting issues related to European integration (Journalistic Project and Modules for the Master at Mostar University);   Collaboration with the twin Units in Belgrade and Tirana, considering the Regional approach of European funds (i.e.: InCE Project Proposal);   First hand-contacts with local institutions (DEI), EU (EC Delegation), donors (development agencies);   Establishment of preliminary contacts with Italian and local actors involved in development cooperation projects (INTERREG – collecting project fiches and project mapping);   Spread of information on issues related to European integration and IPA instrument (newsletter, seminars, workshop, donors meetings);   Elaboration of the basic contents for the “EU Desk” section within the web site of IDC Office in BiH (officially launched in February 2008).

  Ensuring Italian presence to the Donors Coordination Meetings and to the meetings with the BiH Government/Institutions;   Providing support/Technical Assistance to the Italian and local actors interested in participating to EU Programmes in BiH;   Spreading information among and drawing close to each other - through the promotion of partnerships and cooperative projects - the Italian and local institutions interested in working in the country.   In the specific, the Unit concentrates its efforts on the following points: 1. 1.Dissemination of Information (ie.: constantly provides updated information on European calls for proposals - sectors, timetables and application procedures; IDCO in BiH website; outreach material - brochures, articles, communiqués, manuals); 2. 2.Training (ie.: organization/participation to seminars, workshops and conferences dealing with the main sectors/type of financing of EC calls for proposals); 3. 3.Networking (ie.: facilitating the creation of partnerships between different institutions of the two respective countries; favoring the exchange of information, also on the application procedures and the creation of consortiums).

Projects ITALIAN ACTORS LOCAL ACTORS IT - MFA DELEG. EC in BiH DEI - BiH

  Collecting infos about: 1) 1)Italian/Local actors; 2) 2)Projects realized/in progress; 3) 3)Needs/Requests; 4) 4)IPA – Level of knowledge.   Favoring relations among actors;  >  Helping in the search for partners w/common or complementary aims/backgrounds > creation and promotion of high-quality partnerships for the realization of competitive projects;   Obtaining an up-to-date picture of the country’s needs.   Implementing EU Desk activities.

The data obtained will be used to :   Create a database for the actors interested in applying to tenders launched by the EC w/in IPA;   Implement EU Desk activities (TA, networking, training, information);   Develop new initiatives.

1. 1.IPA Project Proposals - Fields of Interest 2. 2.IPA Instrument - Level of Knowledge 3. 3.Interest in participating to (in)formative Seminars on IPA

1. 1. Fields of Interest for IPA Projects Proposals

2. 2.Level of Knowledge IPA Instrument 1. 1.Interest in participating to (in)formative Seminars on IPA

The “Manual on European Financing Programmes in BiH ( )”, realized by the EU Affairs Unit (EU Desk), represents a useful and practical instrument addressed to the Italian and Bosnian Institutions/organizations, interested in particpating to the abovementioned Programmes. It is also aimed at facilitating the creation of high-quality partnerships for the realization of competitive projects.

Need for (in)formative meetings/seminars on IPA Implementation of EU Desk “pillars” “Questionnaire” Follow-up Initiative DEI – Higher Visibility Responding to the involved actors’ requests

RECIPIENTS   Italian actors interested in participating to the calls launched by the EC through the new IPA Instrument (“Questionnaire”);   Local Partners > w/ NO direct experience in the management of EU funds > requiring further information & additional support;   Local Entities/ Institutions (ie. Twinning Programme);   Delegation of the EC to BiH;   Directorate for EU Integration (DEI) > higher visibility;   LTU/EU DESK Regional network (IPA CBC – BiH-Serbia).

SPEAKERS Representatives of the main Italian, Bosnian and European authorities involved in the management of EU funds in BiH:   Delegation of the EC to BiH;   IPA - Adriatic Managing Authority (Abruzzo Region);  –  DEI – BiH Government;   LTU/EU Desk - Belgrade   NCP SEES (Italy & BiH)   NCP Twinning ( Italy - MFA)   Etc.

II. II.SEES, TWINNING,TAIEX, Practical issues: “What to Do!” & “What to Avoid!”. Handing out of the EU Desk “Manual”; III. III.Presentation of some project fiches/proposals, previously submitted to the EU Desk by the participants and final discussion. I. I.IPA Instrument – Component I, IPA-Adriatic, IPA-CBC SEE Region;

1. 1.Greater dissemination of information regarding the EU Programmes; 2. 2.Greater participation of Italy to the upcoming EU calls for proposals; 3. 3.Greater visibility of the “Italy System”; 4. 4.Promoting cooperation with the other LTUs/EU Desk in the region, Italian / local Institutions, structures for the management of EU funds ;

5. 5.First-hand contacts between Italian and local partners: sharing best practices/know-how/expertise; 6. 6.Collecting information for the Database/Partner Search Engine; 7. 7.Greater visibility of the IDC Office in BiH.

  To better respond to the needs and requests of the actors (“Questionnaire”);   To implement the EU Desk second “pillar” – Information. 1st ISSUE In Focus: News related to the EU integration process of BiH; News/Events: Future and past initiatives implemented by the EU Desk; EU Calls for Proposals/Opportunities: Updated information on EU calls (sectors, deadlines, application procedures, etc.). 2nd ISSUE   Scheduled for December 2008;   There will be an “information box” to be realized in cooperation with the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE Sarajevo), including economic and trade data related to the last quarter;   Pubblication online and downloadable pdf; creation of the Newsletter archive.

  Translating the main activities material in local language > bilateral approach;   Restyling and re-organizing the EU Desk part of the website;   Promoting the website and the EU Desk activities;   Organizing coordination meetings about IPA w/ Italian and local NGOs on a regular basis;   Strengthening the consulting service for Italian actors;   Fostering present relationships with partners and local and EU institutions, and establishing new ones;   Starting up and enforcing informative and consulting services for local partners;   Producing informative documents;   Participating to workshops, meetings, etc.;   Organizing small training seminars by programme/sector/type of actor);   Strengthening regional cooperation w/ the other LTUs;   Improving coordination w/ EC Delegation and DEI.