Prague - The Stability Pact's highest decision-making body - the Regional Table comprised of more than 220 participants representing more than 80 countries and organisations - met in Prague today (16 November) to debate the issue of Regional Ownership and to set work priorities of the Pact for 2006.
Addressing the participants, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe Erhard Busek congratulated countries of the region for their remarkable progress towards EU membership achieved in 2005. "While 2005 has been quite a turbulent year in the relations between South Eastern Europe and the European Union, we have seen important steps taken on the path towards EU integration by all SEE countries."
"These developments have an impact on the Stability Pact, both on the overall strategy and approach and on individual SP initiatives. While there is no intention to close the Pact prematurely, a reassessment is necessary and it is now time for South Eastern Europe to define its priorities for longer term regional co-operation and take greater ownership", Special Co-ordinator Busek said in his keynote address.
Countries in SEE have to use the six months until the next Regional Table to define their priorities as far as regional co-operation is concerned. This will put the Regional Table meeting in May 2006 in Belgrade in a position to come to a conclusion about the future priorities and corresponding set-up for regional co-operation in SEE. The informal meeting of the EU and Western Balkans Foreign Ministers under the Austrian EU Presidency will play an important role in this context. But both the decision-making until then as well as the subsequent evolution process depends largely on the speed of regional implementation.
According to the Report of the Senior Review Group, there are certain preconditions for a sustainable regional co-operation framework in SEE which have to be kept in mind: a strong involvement of both the South East European countries and the EU; full political commitment by the countries of the region; and involvement of non-EU donor community during the transition process towards regional ownership.
Decision on the future development of regional co-operation in SEE will be based on a wide consultation process and will subsequently be endorsed by the Regional Table in May 2006. According to the first report of the Senior Review Group, a more regionally-owned co-operation framework should be in place at the latest with the tenth anniversary of the Stability Pact in 2009.
Background Note:
Special Co-ordinator Erhard Busek established the Senior Review Group in close co-ordination with Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn with a mandate to make recommendations on future SP priorities and ways to enhance regional ownership of the processes initiated by the SP. The Group comprises Alpo Rusi of Finland as the Chairman, former Deputy Special Co-ordinator in 1999-2000, Goran Svilanovic, former Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro, Vladimir Drobnjak, Chief EU negotiator for Croatia, and Franz-Lothar Altmann of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
Key documents:
For further information, please contact Stability Pact's Spokesperson
Mr Dragan Barbutovski at the SP Secretariat in Brussels
(Tel: +32 2 401 87 25 or press@stabilitypact.org).
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PR2005/025
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