Brussels – Another step toward regional ownership of the more than 25 initiatives and task forces currently handled by the Stability Pact for South Eastern has been made through the decision of Special Co-ordinator Busek to assign the Regional Secretariat/Focal Point for the Parliamentary Co-operation Task Force to the Bulgarian Parliament.
The Parliamentary Co-operation Focal Point will aim at intensifying regional parliamentary co-operation at different levels, ensuring co-ordination and fostering political support for the formulation and execution of regional activities. It will provide an efficient information network between and for the different Parliaments and help to establish and consolidate networks between sector- specific Parliamentary Committees, paving the ground and preparing a basis for a more institutionalised co-operation in this field.
Parliamentary Co-operation is an overarching priority of the future Regional Co-operation Council (RCC), the successor organisation of the Stability Pact, and one of the areas identified by the region itself where regional co-operation would be beneficial to all.
The Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Erhard Busek, has informed the Speakers of all SEE Parliaments about his decision. The parliaments of Bulgaria, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia had expressed their interest in hosting the focal point. The choice was based on the selection criteria that were agreed among the European Parliament, the South East European Co-operation Process CiO and the Stability Pact.
It was mainly motivated:
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by the quality of the offer provided, the Bulgarian one being the most comprehensive and accurate, and
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by the ability of Bulgaria to provide the most efficient link between the regional dimension of parliamentary co-operation and the European perspective and also took into account the need to balance the location of different initiatives linked to the Regional Co-operation Council, none of which was based in Sofia up to now.
Additional Information:
For further information, please contact Ms Marijana Grandits, Director of the Stability Pact's Working Table I or Ms Talia Boati, Expert on Parliamentary Co-operation (Tel. +32 2 401 8734 or wt-I@stabilitypact.org).
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PR2007/04
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