Progress Report

The 4th Meeting of the Regional Table (December 16, 2002, Thessaloniki) agreed that Local Democracy and Cross Border Cooperation should be one of the Stability Pact’s Core Objectives for 2003. This was based on the conviction that systematic cooperation of local actors (governmental, civic, and business) across national borders provides the practical underpinning to regional cooperation in SEE. This must be supported: 1) as a means towards economic convergence and social cohesion, (not only within the region but also with the EU); and 2) as a functional approach to reconciliation in areas which have suffered severed or dysfunctional cross-border relations.

OVERVIEW OF STRATEGY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE

After the successful Osijek Conference in November 2002, the Stability Pact assumed the responsibility of LODE/CBC Executive Secretariat at the beginning of 2003. The Stability Pact’s Core Group on LODE/CBC agreed in February that the Pact’s added value lies in the area of donor coordination, the support and development of Euroregions in SEE, and in encouraging the decentralization process through the support of twinning and training activities. The 5th Szeged Process Conference in March (under the auspices of the Pact), reaffirmed the Government of Hungary’s commitment to facilitating the latter two areas and the inaugural meeting of the LODE/CBC Steering Committee endorsed that strategic direction of the Stability Pact’s work in this field.

LODE/CBC AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE WORKING TABLE I STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

The leadership of Working Table I task forces agreed that in 2003, WT I activities should focus on helping the countries of the region meet the Copenhagen criteria, enhancing regional cooperation and enriching the SAP, promoting cooperation among task forces and working tables and encouraging the countries of the region to take ownership of activities and processes of the table. The LODE/CBC strategy and planned activities address each of the areas.

EUROREGIONS/CBC

The SAP explicitly states that regional cooperation is a cornerstone of EU policy for the region. Supporting institutionalized cross-border cooperation (Euroregions) enhances the SAP by serving as a tool for conflict prevention, confidence building, reconciliation and interethnic dialogue, economic development and the reduction of crime. It also promotes decentralization and the development of local democracy and is a key component of regional and community development. Euroregions represent a microcosm of what the Stability Pact is all about: confidence building and reconciliation through cross border cross-sectoral initiatives in border regions, and relies on the work of other task forces across the board (media, gender, education & youth, trade, infrastructure, migration, border management and security).

PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING

Capacity building for local authorities is a crucial element for effective cross border cooperation and for helping the countries of the region meet political conditions associated with the Copenhagen criteria (democratic institutions).

PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

• COORDINATION/FACILITATION

  The Stability Pact has access to a vast network of experts, practitioners, policy makers from the region and from outside the region. The Pact is in a unique position to channel vital information on projects, activities, donor interest, policy and trends on LODE/CBC in the region.

  PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

  • Mapping Exercise - The mapping exercise on LODE/CBC, conducted in cooperation with the OSI Local Government Initiative, provides an overview of donor activity and ongoing projects in SEE. It is a tool to help both donors and beneficiaries set priorities, give a clear picture where synergies can be created and where gaps exist. A systematic analysis of this information still has to be conducted.
  • Donor coordination - The Stability Pact, as a political process, will convene a meeting of “friendly donors” (representing both governments and foundations) to discuss the issue of addressing the region’s need for a small grant facility (up to 10,000 Euros) and how such a facility could be managed and administered. The German Marshall Fund’s newly created 25 million USD Balkan Trust Fund will be a key partner in this effort.
  • Consultation - The SAP and CARDS are the EU’s main instruments for the region’s integration into the EU. As it is, the SAP does not specifically cover the area of LODE/CBC. The SP, as a complementary mechanism, will try to meet with relevant policy makers on a regular basis in order to consult on and discuss strategic input to regional dimension programming.

  CONCLUSION

  LODE/CBC is an area where the Stability Pact can maximize its role as a facilitating mechanism. By bringing together key implementing agencies, donors, policy makers from the EU and the region, it aims to provide a coherent and comprehensive strategy and vision for a long-term commitment to the democratization and institution building process at the local level. Citizens in South Eastern Europe must have a stake in the integration process and this is felt most at the local level. Institutionalizing cross border cooperation is a long-term process that does not yield quick results. The challenge will be to keep up the momentum for support in this area and to ensure that CBC structures (Euroregions) become self-sustaining, viable entities.