The transition of the centrally planned systems to market economies in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as well as the war in the Balkans have since the 1990s attributed more importance to FAO's activities in the Region. Countries in the Balkans and the CIS are experiencing high poverty rates, particularly in rural areas and agriculture is still an important sector that employs a high percentage of the labour force and contributes significantly to GDP.