(read out on Erhard Busek’s behalf, who did not attend the meeting) 

Dear Ministers,

Dear Excellencies,

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

This event provides the encouraging signal that there is a genuine willingness on the highest political level to improve cooperation in the area of research and development in South Eastern Europe.  Therefore, I regret even more not being able to be with you today.  I would nevertheless like to use the opportunity to present you my ideas on the future development of the Stability Pact and on the impact global trends will have on our activities connected to “research and science”.

After 3 years of operation, the Stability Pact is now entering a new, adolescent phase that requires redirecting and refocusing of its actions.  In its second phase, the role of the SP will be to help the SEE region to move closer to the EU structures.  This entails a threefold task:

1)     Firstly, to enhance complementarity between the SP and the two most important EU strategies for the region, the SAP for the Western Balkans and the Accession Process which has been created for the candidate countries, which in the SP context include Romania and Bulgaria.  In this endeavour, all activities in the framework of the Stability Pact should aim at bringing them closer to EU-standards.

2)     Secondly and closely related to the first point, regional cooperation is a qualifying element for EU-membership.  In this way, the very essence of Western Europe’s post-World War II reconciliation and decades-long restructuring and economic growth process can be transferred to South Eastern Europe, hence effectively preparing the countries in the region for their integration into Euro-Atlantic structures.  The aim of the Stability Pact is therefore to reinforce cross-border cooperation within SEE and possibly extend it to new sectors.

3)     Thirdly, to efficiently address some of the challenges the SEE region is currently facing, not only a regional, but a global approach is required.  This is especially true for sectors like organized crime, trafficking in human beings or migration and asylum.

"Science and research” is a striking example that only by deepening regional cooperation among the SEE countries, thereby enhancing both the European perspective as well as taking into consideration global developments in this sector, a sustainable development is likely to succeed in South Eastern Europe on a long-term basis.

Let me now outline some initiatives, by which the Stability Pact is actively contributing to regional cooperation in the area of research and science with the overall objective to cross the development gap between SEE and Western Europe and to improve the human capital in the region.  These measures have not only been developed to prevent brain drain from the region, but are also preparing the ground for private investment.

1)     e-SEE

Access to information is - without any question - the key to education, science and research.  A broadly developed knowledge-based economy may provide a proper environment where information can be most effectively used. 

In this context, positive action based on strong political commitment is needed to ensure that SEE countries exploit the full potential offered by the Information Society and avoid a further digital divide both within the region as well as vis-à-vis Western Europe.

The Stability Pact is managing this political process to address issues related to the development of Information Society through the so-called "eSEE Initiative".  This initiative aims to help create proper regulatory framework conditions to ensure the broadest possible access to information.  Properly regulated access to telephone-lines, broadband internet lines, transmission systems are supposed to result in affordable communication services for all, cheaper and faster internet access.

2)     Educational  / Higher Education (HE)

A competitive SEE region in the area of research and science can only be achieved through sustainable reforms in the national educational systems.  Within the framework of the Stability Pact, OECD Thematic Reviews on 10 educational systems in the region and the OECD recommendations on co-operation in the region have been finalized and published in June 2002.  It is now vital to wholeheartedly embark on the implementation of the proposed reforms.

By the same token, reforms in Higher Education play a vital part in developing a skilful young generation and counteracting brain drain which is dramatic in some countries of SEE.

Equally, the involvement of South Eastern European countries in EU-programmes like the TEMPUS or the EU-Framework Programme in the area of research & science actively contributes to the integration of SEE countries into the European area of (Higher) Education.  In view of these positive achievements, the Stability Pact is therefore currently exploring the possibility of integrating SEE countries into other, already existing EU-education programmes which are already open to the CEE candidate countries.  In my view, this represents the most efficient way of integrating South Eastern Europe into the European area of education and avoiding duplication with already existing structures.

Talking about building on existing structures, especially in the area of research & science, it is vital to enhance regional cooperation.  This is the most efficient way to create synergies and making maximum use of (scarce) financial resources.

Conclusion

The Stability Pact’s founding principle is that sustainable stabilisation of the SEE region can only come about by ever increasing interaction among the countries on the political, legal, economic, societal and security level.

Therefore, it is essential for the countries in SEE to further strengthen regional cooperation.  Cooperation in areas where value added is to be extracted through a common approach to problems and challenges that are of a transnational nature – like this is the case in the area of science and research.  Rather than tackling these issues in an isolated manner, the exchange of experience and expertise is vital in an increasingly globalise and interdependent world.  I sincerely hope that today’s conference can actively contribute to this aim.