Bucharest  —  Countries of South Eastern Europe have today (16 November) taken another step forward towards the creation of a new regional co-operation framework that will gradually take over the responsibilities of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. The newly established Regional Co-operation Council (RCC) will be a regionally owned, streamlined and effective regional co-operation framework in South Eastern Europe.

Meeting in Bucharest under the  umbrella of the Pact’s highest decision making body – the Regional Table – around 250 representatives of more than 80 countries, organisations and international financial institutions agreed on how 25 current Stability Pact initiatives and task forces will evolve in order to support the work of RCC.  As agreed by the countries of South Eastern Europe (SEE) and deemed as crucial for the EU integration process, the work of the RCC will focus on six priority areas: Economic and Social Development, Infrastructure, Justice and Home Affairs, Security Co-operation and Building Human Capital with Parliamentary Co-operation an overarching theme that is linked with each of these priority areas.

Moreover, all SEE parties committed themselves to part finance the future RCC Secretariat to the amount of €1 million for the period of 2008-2010. Based on the agreement by the region, the European Commission and several donor countries also announced their commitment to contribute financially to the budget of the RCC Secretariat.

When fully operational in spring of 2008, the RCC will monitor and co-ordinate various regional co-operation processes throughout South Eastern Europe and ensure that these are regularly assessed by the highest political structures both in the region, the European Union and other international bodies. 

The Croatian Chairmanship-in-Office of the South Eastern Europe Co-operation Process (SEECP), a political framework of the region, has been requested to lead the process of defining the relations between the SEECP and the RCC.

Decisions on the location of the RCC Secretariat and the nomination of the Secretary General will need to be taken by the region in the period leading up to the next meeting of the Stability Pact’s Regional Table in May/June 2007.

Additional information:

1. Conclusions of the Regional Table
2. Report on Regional Ownership of the Stability Pact Task Forces and Initiatives
3. Regional Annual Contribution to RCC Secretariat (2008-2010)
4. Speech by the Special Co-ordinator at the meeting of the Regional Table

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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PR2006/022