At an extraordinary meeting of the Regional Table, the Stability Pact decision-making body, in Bucharest - 5 June 2002, participants welcomed the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia as new members. They also approved of a comprehensive reform package for Stability Pact operations, including changing the intervals of the rotating chairs from 6 months to 1 year. The Regional Table particularly welcomed the report presented by Special Co-ordinator Erhard Busek about the increased regional ownership of the Stability Pact by and through the Governments of South Eastern Europe themselves. Busek listed the SEECP's representation at the Brussels based Informal Consultative Committee (ICC), the SECI Regional Center for Combating Transborder Crime and the Belgrade Small Arms and Light Weapons Clearinghouse as prime examples. The ICC is an informal co-ordination tool for Stability Pact matters comprising the European Commission, the European Council Secretariat, the EU Presidency, SEECP and the Special Co-ordinator. The ICC was approved as one of the measures to achieve the Stability Pact's objectives for the year 2002 by the EU General Affairs Council of 11 March 2002. These 6 objectives were equally supported by the Regional Table in Bucharest.

At the Regional Table, which was held combined with the Working Table III, 11 countries and the International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent also signed a declaration on Co-operation in Disaster Preparedness and Prevention for South Eastern Europe. This is a major achievement of a process started in the Stability Pact framework over 1 year ago and which already resulted in the joint military/civil fire fighting exercise at the Makarska coast in Croatia on 22-24 May 2002.

For details, please see:

­ Regional Table conclusions

­ Stability Pact's Increased Regional Ownership.

­ Declaration on Co-operation in Disaster Preparedness and Prevention in South Eastern Europe

­ Working Table III Conclusions