Annual Summer Seminars for SEE Young Public Servants

Annual training seminars for representatives of the central administrations from South-Eastern Europe, working in the field of European Integration and directly involved in the process of their respective countries' accession to the European Union. The countries involved in the project are: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.

The long-term regional project was launched eight years ago, in order to answer two of the most visible and pressing challenges for the SEE region at that moment - 1.) building administrative capacity, for meeting EU requirements and preparing for EU negotiations & 2.) fostering regional cooperation in the region of South-Eastern Europe. It aims at encouraging co-operation and mutual learning between administrations from the targeted countries and experts from the EU member-states countries. The action seeks also to achieve efficient communication and networking among public officials form the Balkan region.

In 2000, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) developed the idea for establishing a focal point for training, exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience among Bulgarian and Romanian young public servants working in the field of European integration and directly involved in the process of preparing for the challenges of EU membership. Considering the positive feedback we received from the two successive Seminars in 2000 and 2001 and the imperative of fostering co-operation in the South-East region and the cross-border dialogue on key issues related to EU membership, the Summer Seminars held in 2002, 2003 and 2004 already brought together a wider range of young public servants from Southeastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia & Montenegro were included in the project). The Seminar in 2005 was attended by participants from Moldova and at the last edition of the Seminar (in 2006), the Republic of Turkey was also presented with experts.

The traditional Summer Seminars organized by EPI are taking place in a friendly and multicultural environment where the transfer of knowledge and know-how is successfully combined with exchanges of experience and best practices drawn from different administrative systems. The initiative is an excellent instrument to facilitate discussions and create an environment for dialogue and networking - in both formal and unofficial way - on the problems of European integration. It aims at improving the understanding of EU processes and policies, developing the capacities of the administrations of prospective member states to cope with European integration, and assisting the development of cooperation between these administrations.

The program of the Summer Seminar combines both an emphasis on detailed issues related to a number of pre-accession matters and broader strategic issues. A large part of the time is devoted to intensive deliberations in working groups' format. Each participant receives in advance a Reading Material containing documents and materials, lists for further reading and guidelines for the working groups' discussions. Working language is English.

The main donors of the already implemented eight editions of the annual training are: Bertelsmann Foundation (Guetersloh); Balkan Trust for Democracy (Belgrade); Hanns Seidel Fundation (Sofia); Central European Initiative (Trieste);  Know-How Transfer Centre (Vienna); Robert Bosch Stiftung (Stuttgart); East East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program (London); Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Oslo); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany (Berlin); Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany (Sofia); Netherlands Embassy's special fund for support to the Bulgarian transformation - "MATRA KAP fund"; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, (Sofia); Programme for CEEC and NIS of the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria (Vienna); Erhard Busek IDM Ostfornds (Vienna); Encouragement Bank (Sofia); DSK Bank (Sofia), Ireland Embassy to Bulgaria (Sofia), etc.

SUMMER SEMINAR SERIES:

Tenth edition - Summer Seminar "Efficient Membership and Preparation for EU Accession", June 8-13, 2009, "Riviera Holiday Club", Varna

Ninth edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", June 9-14th, 2008, "Albena" resort, Varna;

Eight edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", June 12-17th, 2007, "Albena" resort, Varna;

Seventh edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", June 01-05th, 2006, "Albena" resort, Varna;

Sixth edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", September 08-11th, 2005, "Riviera Holiday Club", Varna;

Fifth edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", September 08-13th, 2004, Varna;

Fourth edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", September 06-10th, 2003, Varna;

Third edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", September 07-11th, 2002, Varna;

Second edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", September 17-22nd, 2001, Varna;

First edition - Summer Seminar "Preparation for EU Accession", September 30th - October 1st, 2000, Varna.