ABSTRACT
The Central European Initiative (CEI) operates according to the principle "no transfer of funds," which means that every member state pays for its own projects. The Initiative has successfully coordinated the participation of its member states within larger institutions and has tackled transboundary problems. In the wake of the fundamental changes in Europe starting in 1989, the end of the Cold War and in particular the breakdown of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe, new forms of regional cooperation were considered. After the fall of the Berlin Wall four Central European states –Austria, Hungary, Italy, and former Yugoslavia – were the first countries that formed an informal agreement on cooperation. The project-oriented work of the CEI is carried out by working groups of experts from the member states. The working group on environmental issues comprises six subgroups: harmonization of environmental monitoring and data systems; waste management; nuclear safety; energy and environment; national parks; and environmental peace keeping.
