Chairman's Conclusions
The
Regional Table of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
met under the chairmanship of Special Coordinator Dr Erhard Busek
on 27 May in Dubrovnik (Cavtat). The Table confirmed the appointment
of Elisabeth Rehn as Chair of the Working Table on Democracy and
Human Rights.
There has been tangible progress in developing the will and the
means for regional solutions to persistent social, economic and
security challenges in South Eastern Europe. This includes even
using occasional and high profile setbacks as an added incentive
to pressing ahead and addressing core concerns, such as the fight
against organised crime. The Table highly appreciated the facilitating
role played by the Stability Pact, which is developing frameworks
for furthering this important dimension of regional cooperation.
Participants welcomed the visible progress on the priority themes
encompassed by the Stability Pact and urged redoubled efforts
in light of heightened regional and international expectations
for sustained momentum. It reaffirmed the central importance of
the Stability Pact to assuring sustained and meaningful international
support to meet the challenges currently facing South East Europe.
In line with commitments made at the last Regional Table meeting
in Thessaloniki in December 2002, the Table acknowledged the successful
efforts of the Special Coordinator to streamline the operation
of the Stability Pact, noting the previous day’s back-to-back
working table meetings as an important example, allowing for enhanced
effectiveness and focus on cross-table exchange. In particular,
the participants welcomed the initial progress made under the
six core objectives, which provide a clearer mission and focus
on results for the Stability Pact's efforts. It also took note
of the ongoing efforts of the Stability Pact to involve Kosovo
in a number of important regional initiatives in line with UNSC
Resolution 1244.
The Regional Table reiterated its willingness to ensure closer
complementarity of the activities of the Stability Pact to the
Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) of the EU and took
note of the SP-Complementarity Report presented to the EU General
Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) for its consideration
on 17 June. The Stability Pact has a key role to play in developing
the regional cooperation element of the SAP. Both processes stand
to gain momentum if they are interlinked more closely. Ensuring
added complementarity to the SAP will be vital for the future
of the Stability Pact and should be a central element of future
work plans.
The Stability Pact provides a functioning framework for burden
sharing for all international actors, and a base for a continuing
and substantial transatlantic partnership on behalf of South East
Europe. Regional Table participants highlighted the valuable work
the Stability Pact has undertaken to support the development of
the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in its aspirations
to be an authentic and indigenous political voice of the region.
They also welcomed the continued efforts by the Special Coordinator
to bolster cooperation with regional initiatives. The Table saluted
the initiative of the Special Coordinator to increase the involvement
of incoming EU members with specific transformation experience
in order to expand tailored assistance to the region. The Table
valued the readiness of so many individuals, organizations and
countries in the region to support a new initiative on “Reconciling
for the Future”, aimed at overcoming legacies of the past
for the benefit of all citizens in the region, which will draw
extensively on the results delivered by existing Stability Pact
initiatives and task forces.
Regional Table participants took note of the conclusions from
the Working Table meetings. Participants reviewed the progress
made in the Pact's activities, with an emphasis on the core objectives
and the overriding security area. It also addressed how obstacles
in implementation could be best overcome. For each Working Table,
they highlighted the following points:
- Working
Table I (Democracy and Human Rights): Activities within the
two core objectives Local Democracy/Cross-border Cooperation
and Media help the countries of SEE meet the Copenhagen criteria,
enhance regional cooperation and complement the EU’s
SAP, as well as improve regional ownership. The importance
of developing synergies within Table 1 and the broader Stability
Pact was emphasised. Participants furthermore stressed the
role of the new EU member states in sharing their transformation
experience. Creating donor partnerships to support the general
strategic framework of the Working Table will contribute to
the success of the various initiatives it promotes.
- Working
Table II (Economic Reconstruction, Development and Cooperation):
The completion and on-going implementation of the network
of bilateral free trade agreements in South East Europe was
viewed as a vital contribution to creating a much improved
regional investment climate, one that is complemented by the
progress to date in implementing critical policy reforms.
Progress in implementing projects and developing regional
approaches to energy and transportation infrastructure was
lauded. Note was taken of important proposals to revise the
MoU on a Regional Electricity Market towards inclusion of
the gas sector and to transform the MoU into a legally binding
treaty. However, the need for additional tangible progress
in all areas was underlined, as was importance of underpinning
economic development with advances in developing the information
society and in ensuring social cohesion, in particular in
the field of employment policies.
- Working
Table III (Security Issues): In the Defence and Security Sub-table
the Stability Pact's continued efforts to strengthen co-operative
security in South Eastern Europe and to promote the comprehensive
reform of the security sector were reaffirmed as vital elements
of sustainable security and stability in the region. The pivotal
importance of the Defence and Security issues was emphasised,
with a clear wish of participants to keep it in focus as a
priority area of activity. The Table highly appreciated the
Stability Pact's facilitating role in the Ohrid Conference
on Border Management and Security. In the Justice and Home
Affairs Sub-table Stability Pact efforts to follow through
on regional and international commitments to present a common
front in the fight against organised crime, including trafficking
and corruption, were appreciated, although more rapid progress
on areas of core competence was stressed. Participants valued
the ongoing effort to reconfigure Stability Pact efforts on
refugee return toward a larger role in migration and asylum,
including freedom of movement and the improvement of housing
situation in the region.
Participants
agreed that a European perspective has been recognised as crucial
in supporting necessary reform efforts in the region. Participants
recalled the importance they attached to the full respect of the
Copenhagen criteria, the Stabilisation and association Process
conditionality and the obligations and commitments described in
the final declaration of the Zagreb Summit, which are crucial
for the Western Balkan's ability to progress on the path towards
European Integration. The Table welcomed the Greek EU Presidency's
plans for the EU-Western Balkans Summit in June in Thessaloniki.
Regional Cooperation clearly is an essential element of the road
of the countries of SEE towards integration into Euro-Atlantic
institutions.
In this respect the Table highlighted the essential role of creating
a common market attractive for foreign investment and called for
the further harmonisation of the network of free trade agreements
and increased liberalisation. Moreover, additional cooperation
in the energy sector will improve the daily lives of the citizens
of the region as well as make the region more attractive to investment
while advancing integration into the internal European electricity
market. European experience has shown the necessity to complement
free movement of goods with that of people, requiring close cooperation
in the broad area of visa liberalisation among the countries of
the region, border control and migration in general. The Table
recognized that effective border management also requires close
cooperation among municipal authorities in border regions. Strengthening
capacities of local authorities in border regions can foster economic
growth and social development as well as cooperation between border
regions. In this path, rule of law is a fundamental element, which
in its turn is essential for economic development, the return
of refugees, protection of human and minority rights and the fight
against organised crime and corruption. The Table stressed the
important role of the Pact in reinforcing regional cooperation
in this crucial area of fighting organised crime and corruption.
As in the area of border management, where the Stability Pact
successfully developed twinning projects and concrete work plans,
the Stability Pact could facilitate similar work in the areas
of organised crime and corruption.
Along with complementing the EU’s Stabilization and Association
Process, the Stability Pact should also strive to strongly promote
regional ownership of the activities within the Stability Pact.
The Table appreciated the perspective on regional ownership and
the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) by SEECP Chairman-in-Office
BiH Foreign Minister Ivanic.
The Table welcomed Italy's determination, during its incoming
EU Presidency, to maintain the Western Balkans on top of the agenda,
in line with the programme of the Greek Presidency and in accordance
with the outcome of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki.
Participants expressed their gratitude to the Croatian hosts for
the meeting and agreed to hold the next Regional Table in November
2003. |
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