Origins of the SP

On 10 June 1999, at the EU's initiative, the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was adopted in Cologne. In the founding document, more than 40 partner countries and organisations undertook to strengthen the countries of SEE "in their efforts to foster peace, democracy, respect for human rights and economic prosperity in order to achieve stability in the whole region". Euro-Atlantic integration was promised to all the countries in the region. At a summit meeting in Sarajevo on 30 July 1999, the Pact was launched.

Bridging Divides at Local Level

The Szeged process promoted European integration through strengthening local governments and municipalities, developing regional cross-border co-operation and establishing new “Euro regions” in SEE. Today, a SP Task Force is dealing with cross-border co-operation and local democracy issues region-wide.

Regional Co-operation takes shape

At the South Eastern Europe Co-operation Process (SEECP) Summit in Bucharest on 12 February 2000, the Heads of State and Government of Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, fYR Macedonia and Turkey adopted the “Charter on Good Neighbourliness, Stability, Security and Co-operation in South East Europe”, emphasising their commitment to good neighbourly relations as well as economic and democratic reforms. Over time, SEECP has become the “voice of the region” in the Pact, where participating countries co-operate politically and set up agreements like the joint Declaration to fight Terrorism or regional initiatives to fight organised crime, to collect small arms and light weapons, to promote investment or to establish a regional energy market

Integration of the Western Balkans into European institutions

At the South Eastern Europe Co-operation Process (The Zagreb Summit mapped out a vision for the closer integration of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, fYR Macedonia and Yugoslavia into the mainstream of Europe. In return for a clear commitment to sustained reform, regional co-operation and respect for democratic standards and international obligations, the EU offered these countries a perspective for EU membership.

Promoting Free Trade in SEE

By signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Liberalisation and Facilitation of Trade in June 2000, governments of the region made an important step towards the establishment of free trade in SEE. In a record of 15 months, 21 bilateral free trade agreements between seven countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, fRY Macedonia, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro) were negotiated (February 2003), thereby enlarging small markets of national economies into a free trade area of 55 million consumers by mid-2004. Today, a tolal of 28 FTAs have been completed (including Moldova).

Integrated Approach to Refugee Return

The Agenda for Regional Action was launched in Geneva on 27 June 2002 and had a new overall approach, shifting from emergency humanitarian assistance to long-term integration for refugees and displaced persons.

Fighting Organised Crime

The fight against organised crime became a topic of particular importance for the Stability Pact. The London declaration of November 2002 and the Thessaloniki EU-Balkans Summit 2003 gave the political support to take coordinated steps against organised crime. Within the Pact, various instruments have been set up in this struggle, such as the Stability Pact Initiative against Organised Crime (SPOC), the Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings, the Stability Pact Anti Corruption Initiative (SPAI) or the Police Forum. A close co-operation exists with the Regional Centre for Combating Transborder Crime (SECI Center), which started to cooperate closely with Europol and Interpol. These initiatives helped to substantially improve the co-operation between the various national law enforcement authorities..

4 Dec 2002

Sava River Agreement

The agreement established the Sava River Commission and created an international navigation regime on the Sava River and its main tributaries. It promotes for the sustainable management of the Sava Basin waters and related resources. Thereby it has fostered the integrated economic development of the whole region and has preserved the environment of the Sava Basin riparian states to the profit of its people.

Kosovo and the Stability Pact

The Stability Pact has been requested to support Kosovo’s involvement in regional activities in accordance with UN Resolution 1244. The involvement of Kosovo in the initiatives of the Stability Pact via UNMIK is not uniform, but developed and negotiated on a case-by-case basis. This also supports certain parts of the “Standards for Kosovo”, namely the one on regional dialogue.

Thessaloniki Summit confirms European perspective for the Western Balkans

The EU-Western Balkans Summit marked an important step in the deepening relationship between the EU and the Western Balkan countries and reaffirmed the prospect of EU membership for the Western Balkans. It was emphasised that the Stability Pact is complementary to the EU’s Stabilisation and Association Process. The Pact supports the Accession Process of Romania and Bulgaria, and provides a bridge between the Western Balkans, the candidate countries in SEE and the Republic of Moldova. It was recognised that the added value of the SP is particularly evident in enhancing regional co-operation, fostering regional ownership and acting as a political co-ordination forum for the main international players.

Migration:
Programme of Action launched

Refugee Return has been highly successful in the years 2000-2003. This led to the decision to roll refugee and displaced persons matters over into the standard development procedures in economic and social terms, focusing at the same time on issues of sustainability. To address the new challenges in domain of migration and displacement, the first regional forum on asylum, migration and sustainable return in the context of the SEECP decided in Herzeg-Novi on 5 April 2004 to establish a Regional Center in Skopje for MARRI (Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative) issues. This increases considerably the degree of regional ownership of the MARRI process.

On the way to a SEE Energy Market

Ten SEE Governments have committed themselves to create a regional energy market. The long-term goal is the full integration in the internal energy market of the EU. In November 2002, the groundwork was laid in Athens for the electricity sector. In November 2003, the agreement was extended to gas. The MoU now in place is expected to be transformed into a legally binding treaty. Results will include an increased reliability in energy supply, a more rational use and expansion of existing infrastructure, opportunities for private investment and more competitive consumer prices.

Office of the Special Co-ordinator
of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
50 Rue Wiertz - 1050 Brussels - Belgium
Tel: +32 (2) 401 87 01
Fax: +32 (2) 401 87 12
www.stabilitypact.org