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REI - Regional Environmental Institute

The Institute operates as a think tank, an excellence hub, a platform
for new thinking and as a generator for actions and projects on
issues related to Environment and Climate Change. The mission of
REI is to assist in addressing environmental issues mainly in Central
and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, through the promotion
of cooperation among non-governmental organizations,
governments, businesses, and other environmental stakeholders,
as well as the free exchange of information and public participation
in environmental decision-making. The strategic goal of REI is to assist beneficiary countries in solving
environmental problems through: (1) the implementation of projects (research and development, policy upgrade
and implementation, technical assistance, and capacity building projects, etc.), and (2) education. REI is directed
by Dr. Dejan Komatina, Strategic Director, and Dr. Rade Glomazic, Executive Director.

Following the establishment of REI in November 2021 and initial activities performed until August 2022, the
reporting year (September 2022-August 2023) saw the completion in setting up the institute, through:
- Completion of the network of REI units, consisting of 8 country units (in the six economies of the Western
Balkans, Bulgaria, and Türkiye), and a regional unit for Central and Western Asia,
- Appointment of REI’s Country and Regional Directors (from each country unit and regional unit), to ensure
REI’s permanent presence in beneficiary countries/regions,
- Appointment of REI’s Director for Business Development and Director for Project Implementation, to ensure
a high quality, continuity, and consistency of REI’s operations,
- Establishment of the Advisory Council of REI, to support creating the Institute’s strategy and programs of
activities, and executing its operations,
- Preparation of a database of project references and individual expert profiles of REI’s units,
- Development of rules regulating the cooperation of REI’s units and operations of the network, and
- Drafting of a Corporate Identity Guideline of REI.

In parallel, the Institute has screened:
- Potential funding sources: To build REI's financial sustainability, a series of discussions and bilateral talks were
initiated, including with the German GIZ, regarding the possibilities for creating a funding framework at the
regional level, specifically for the Western Balkan region.
- Opportunities for partnerships with institutions from donor countries: REI has started discussions with the
Finnish Innovation Forum regarding REI’s participation in the organization of the World Circular Economy
Forum for the Western Balkans region, and with the IMPEL network, regarding REI’s observer status in this
organization; Concrete steps have been defined with the Finnish Water Forum towards a joint organization
of activities in the Western Balkans and Türkiye; Communication has been established with leading TA
companies in order to present REI’s potential as a leading TA capacity provider in the field of environment and
climate change, in its target region.
- Project opportunities, initiatives, and processes for the potential engagement of REI: Preparation of a plan for
the involvement of the Institute in donor funded activities has been initiated by the recently appointed
Country and Regional Directors and Business Development Director of REI.

European Institute for Criminal Law and Criminal

Justice System

The European Institute for Criminal Law and the Criminal Justice
System is a late addition to EPLO’s broad range of Institutes. It
brings together leading scholars to explore central issues in classical
criminal law doctrine as well as the philosophical foundations of the
criminal law. In particular, it is concerned with the doctrinal and
philosophical analysis of contemporary problems in European
criminal law and the law of individual European states (including the
UK). To this end, the Institute runs workshops and conferences. Furthermore, its statute foresees the possibility
that the Institute will, in the near future, offer a taught postgraduate degree. The Institute operates as an
autonomous unit of EPLO under the responsibility of its Director and Scientific Council. The Scientific Council
includes twenty-one scholars of international reputation, from many different European jurisdictions, specializing

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