The key activities of the Robert Schuman Institute for Developing Democracy in Central- and Eastern Europe are educational and training programs. These programs are delivered for specific groups of international participants by known experts and speakers from the EU countries and the target region. Activities include:
- international courses for young functionaries of the developing democracies in the region, who receive both theoretical and practical training
- a “train the trainers” program to facilitate the wide range distribution of course curricula and materials
- international conferences for high-ranking politicians, government officials, public persons and the representatives of the scientific community and NGOs on timely issues, such as the different EU requirements of accession regarding the first candidate countries or the most burning questions of the South-Eastern European countries
The basic objectives of the institute are to:
- promote the idea of a United Europe
- support and foster the process of democratic transformation in the CEE/EE/SEE countries on the basis of European Christian democratic values in the spirit of Robert Schuman
- promote the development of civil societies in the CEE/EE/SEE countries
- facilitate the information flow and contacts between the European Union, the acceding countries and non – EU member states
- contribute to the fundamental program of the EPP member parties in the EU and their partner parties in the CEE/EE/SEE countries
- assist in preparing the governing or opposition partner parties in the relevant CEE/EE/SEE countries for their political involvement
- establish and operate a documentation centre to serve a more efficient exchange of information among the different organisations within the EPP family