REGIONAL COOPERATION COUNCIL
(RCC)
Belgrade
10 November 2008
Founding of the Regional Cooperation Council
• Launched in February 2008 as the successor to the
Stability Pact, the RCC provides a new and
regionally-owned framework for the countries of
the SEE, the European Commission and the
international donor community to undertake
projects of mutual interest in order to foster
further development of the SEE region.
• Fully operational since May 2008.
Who We Are
The RCC is an inter-governmental framework which serves as the
operational arm of the South Eastern Europe Cooperation Process
(SEECP). The RCC has 45 members, including individual countries,
international organizations and international financial institutions.
What We Do
• Facilitating regional cooperation in South Eastern Europe
• Helping to accelerate reforms in the region
• Supporting commitments and endeavors with regard to
European and Euro-Atlantic integration
• Encouraging the EU and international community to engage in
the region; promoting donor involvement and coordination.
The RCC’s Objectives
• Contributing to the enhancement of stability, security, mutual
respect and open dialogue in South Eastern Europe
• Rebranding the image of SEE and instilling the notion of regional
cooperation
• Acting as key interlocutor and operational link between the EU and
the SEECP with regard to project generation and prioritization
particularly in the context of the European Commission’s MultiBeneficiary Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (MB IPA)
• Coordinating international political, technical and financial support
• Presenting a regional forum for dialogue among different countries,
international organizations, and other partners
Membership
• Members from the South Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania,
Serbia, Turkey) and UNMIK on behalf of Kosovo in accordance
with the UNSC Resolution 1244
• European Union, represented by the Troika (European
Commission EU Presidency, Council Secretariat)
• Donor countries (Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, United States)
• International organizations/institutions (CoE, Council of
Europe Development Bank, EBRD, EIB, European Parliament,
OECD, OSCE, NATO, SECI, UN, UNDP, UN ECE, World Bank)
MEMBERS OF THE RCC BOARD
ALBANIA, AUSTRIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, BULGARIA, CROATIA, CZECH REPUBLIC,
FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, HUNGARY, IRELAND, ITALY, LATVIA, REPUBLIC OF
MOLDOVA, MONTENEGRO, NORWAY, POLAND, ROMANIA, SERBIA, SLOVENIA, SPAIN,
SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, TURKEY, UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA, COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, UNITED
NATIONS INTERIM ADMINISTRATION MISSION IN KOSOVO (UNMIK) ON BEHALF OF KOSOVO IN
ACCORDANCE WITH UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1244
The RCC Board provides operational guidance and
supervision to the organization. It comprises of
those RCC members contributing to the budget of
the RCC Secretariat as well as the EU, represented
by the Troika.
RCC Financing
The RCC is funded through a cost-sharing mechanism
- one third of its funding comes from the members
from the South-Eastern Europe, one third from the
EC, and one third from other donors.
RCC Structure
•
Secretariat in Sarajevo: Provides expert, technical and
administrative support to the RCC, the RCC Secretary General
and the Chairmanship in Office of the South Eastern Europe
Cooperation Process.
• Liaison Office in Brussels: Lobbies for projects of regional
importance with EU institutions, international financial
institutions and other Brussels-based institutions. Special
Envoy of the RCC Secretary General for relations with the EU
presidency is also based in Brussels and closely coordinates his
work with the RCC Liaison Office.
• Staff: The RCC Secretariat and Liaison Office consist of 35 staff
(30+5) including twenty experts and political analysts covering
strategic priority areas of RCC activity.
RCC Approach
• Flexible and tailor-made, following the practice of the Stability Pact for SEE
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RCC Method of Work
Generating projects and programs of common interest for SEE, mobilizing
resources, and the commitment to regional cooperation
Matching priorities of SEE with programs and funds of international
organizations, including those identified under the EC’s Multi – Beneficiary IPA
Ensuring effective cooperation/coordination and networking between the
SEECP, the RCC Secretariat, member countries, international donors, and
individual regional initiatives and task forces
Acting as an independent forum and intermediary in the context of regional
cooperation
Regional Ownership
Acting as the operational arm of the SEECP
Ensuring increased regional ownership and leadership
RCC Priority Areas
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Economic and social development
Energy and infrastructure
Justice and home affairs
Security cooperation
Building human capital
Parliamentary cooperation (as an overarching theme)
Three additional cross-cutting issues include
mainstreaming, social cohesion and civil society.
gender
RCC Programming Role – complex inputs
• 4 categories of beneficiary countries: EU
members, candidates, potential candidates
and a country covered by EU Neighbourhood
Program
• Diversified players: beneficiary countries’
institutions, regional initiatives, EU, IFIs, other
international organizations, individual donor
countries, private foundations, business
sector, local communities networks etc.
RI
National
Represent.
RCC
Donors
Main tasks of the RCC
ENSURE
coordination, coherence
sustainability, continuity
MAINTAIN
communication channels
and preserve its
functionality
FACILITATE
IMPROVE
access to political, technical
and financial support
avoiding duplication and
overlapping
mutual cooperation,
technical assistance,
networking
to practical results
MONITOR & IDENTIFY
DRAFT
harmonised guidelines and
protocols for cooperation
current priorities among
SEE countries, RI,
International
Organizations and Donors
RCC Expert Pool Contact Information
Name
Position
Mobile
E-mail
Deputy Secretary General/Head
of Expert Pool
+ 387(0)33 561 716
[email protected]
Senior Expert on Security Issues
+387(0)33 561 705
[email protected]
Miroslav Kukobat
Senior Expert on Infrastructure
and Energy
+387(0)33 561 707
[email protected]
Virgil Constantin Ivan
Cucu
Senior Expert on Justice
and Home Affairs
+387(0)33 561 712
[email protected]
Predrag Vujičić
Expert on Justice and
Home Affairs
+387(0)33 561 722
[email protected]
Emira Tufo
Senior Expert on Economic and
Social Development
+387(0)33 561 714
[email protected]
Nand Shani
Expert on Economic and Social
Development
+387(0)33 561 719
[email protected]
Mladen Dragašević
Senior Expert on Building Human
Capital
+387(0)33 561 728
[email protected]
+387(0)33 561 720
[email protected]
Mimika Loshi
Expert on Parliamentary
Cooperation and Cross-Cutting
issues
Jelica Minić
Efrem Radev
RCC Secretariat
Trg Bosne i Hercegovine 1
Sarajevo, BiH
www.rcc.int
Swbd: +387 33 561 700
Fax: +387 33 561 701
Economic and Social Development
The Economic and Social Development Unit of the RCC works with its
international partners on supporting economic development initiatives in
Southeast Europe.
Bearing in mind that sustained economic development is only possible
where accompanied by adequate social policy, the Economic and Social
Development Unit of the RCC advocates the inclusion of social partners
in economic policy dialogue - ultimately seeking to promote an
awareness of the principles of quality of work and life.
Key Issues
Economic Development
• Investment Facilitation
• SME Development
• Free Trade
Social Development
• Labor and Employment Policy
• Social Dialogue
• Public Health
+ Development of Information and Communication
Technology
Main Initiatives
Economic Development
• Investment Compact for Southeast Europe
•Regional Competitiveness Initiative
•Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA 2006)
• Business Advisory Council (BAC)
+ Electronic Southeast Europe (eSEE)
Main Initiatives
Social Development
• Bucharest Employment Process
• SEE Trade Union Forum
• Adriatic Region Employers’ Center
• SEE Health Network
Infrastructure
Aims:
• Promote, monitor and facilitate coordination of regional infrastructure
cooperation processes;
• Act as an information and focal point for regional cooperation activities;
• Point out and contribute in addressing the major bottlenecks in the
national reforms implementation;
• Provide political guidance to and receive input from relevant task forces
and initiatives, estimate their role and relevance to seek for synergies
and complementarities;
• Promote continued involvement of international donor community and
expansion of regional cooperation supporters;
• Promote regional infrastructure investments, its impartial prioritization
and particularly private sector participation;
• Monitor strategic infrastructure developments internationally;
Core Initiatives
• Energy Community including social dimension
and EE activities;
• SEE Core Regional Transport Network
Development;
• Transport Community;
• Regional Environmental Center Programs and
Initiatives;
• IFIs and Development Agencies initiatives;
Short –Term priorities for Action
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Participation in the IFIAG and its WGs to contribute to adequate prioritization of
infrastructure projects to be financed primarily through the MB IPA (IPF);
To promote sustainable energy development in the region;
To support inclusion of the Civil Society Actors involving the social partners and the relevant
trade union organizations as well;
To support Transport Community Treaty negotiation;
To promote sustainable and cost effective transport modes;
To promote protection, sustainable use and integrated management of regional water
resources (the DCP, DC, ICPDR , ISRBC);
To back the Air Traffic regional dimension (ECAAA, SES, SEE FABA and its reorientation);
To implement in cooperation with REC framework program Roadmap for Environmental
Cooperation in SEE consisting of four thematic high level events dedicated to CC, Natura
2000, MEAs and PEIPs;
To establish cooperation with the Parliamentarians in order to facilitate law making process;
To assist bilaterally to the SEECP CiO and SEECP participating states facing problems;
To promote an approach that more advanced SEECP states assist to those coping with the
infrastructure reform delay;
Main Players and Partners
• DG TREN, DG ENV, ECS, SEETO, REC and
UNECE;
• Variety of regional cooperation processes,
organizations and initiatives (BSEC, BSREC,
IENE, WEC SEE TFE, NALAS, EFSDR, RENEUER,
DC, ICPDR, ISRBC, REReP, PEIP, DABLAS,
ENVSEC, ECENA …);
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
Cooperation and reforms in the field of justice, freedom and
security, notably in:
combating organised crime and corruption,
reforming the judiciary and police,
strengthening border management,
are of particular importance for SEE and a core priority for
the European agenda
Main tasks of RCC in the field of Justice, Freedom and Security are to:
Facilitate coordination and coherence of all actors in the area of Justice,
Freedom and Security in the region
Facilitate access to political, technical and financial support to the existing
initiatives, avoiding duplication and overlapping
Contribute to the improvement of mutual cooperation and its practical results
Put in place necessary communication channels and preserve its functionality
Facilitate networking and sharing of best practices learned in the region
Support establishment of harmonised guidelines and protocols for sharing of
relevant information across borders
Constantly monitor, identify and adopt changes of the current priorities among
SEE countries and donors
Key objectives
Combating Trans – border Crime
Strengthening the role and adopting international statute of the Regional Centre for
combating trans-border crime
Supporting the fight against corruption
Sustainability, achievement of practical results and fostering the impact following the
dissemination of the best practice and lessons learned
Law Enforcement and Police cooperation
To continue main projects of Stability Pact Police Forum such as Organized crime training
network (OCTN) and Implementation of the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast
Europe – Vienna Convention 2006.
Regional and international cooperation and networking amongst prosecutors
Rise the South East European Prosecutors Advisory Group competence to provide real
operational support, assistance, advice and guidance
 Migration, asylum and refugees return
To establish integrated border management and support management of population movement
Main partners
1. Regional Centre for combating trans-border crime SECI Centre - Bucharest
Strengthening the role, the international statute and the relations with Europol
2. Regional Anticorruption Initiative (RAI) – Sarajevo
Sustainability, achievement of practical results and fostering the impact following the
dissemination of anti-corruption best practice and lessons learned , identify new priorities.
3 Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) – Sofia
To continue main projects of the Police Forum such as Organized crime training network
and Implementation of the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe – Vienna
Convention 2006.
4. Migration Asylum and Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI) – Skopje
Supporting the relevant authorities involved in integrated border management including
police, customs, as well as illegal migration and asylum.
5. South East European Prosecutors Advisory Group (SEEPAG) - Belgrade
Increase the competence to provide real operational support, assistance, advice and
guidance in organized crime investigation.
Security cooperation
RCC has inherited from the SP three active and
well established Task Forces and Initiatives –
RACVIAC - Centre for Security Cooperation
SEESAC – South Eastern and Eastern Europe
Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and
Light Weapons
DPPI – Disaster Prevention and Preparedness
Initiative
• RACVIAC - Based in Zagreb, Croatia. Founded in 2000 as the
Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance
Centre. RCC will assist and support the formulation of a new,
adequate strategic policy orientation of RACVIAC, in line with the
new security cooperation need in South East Europe.
• SEESAC – based in Belgrade, Serbia is joint RCC – UNDP project.
Achieved substantial progress in working with Governments in SEE
establishing national strategies on SALW control and project
implementation addressing SALW control. SEESAC will provide for
the adoption of national policies on armed violence prevention with
an emphasis on security issues at the community level.
• DPPI’s Secretariat is based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
goal of the DPPI is to foster regional cooperation and coordination
in disaster preparedness and prevention. RCC will fully support the
activities of the DPPI and the ongoing initiatives, including the
formation of a Regional Joint Fire-fighting Center
Way ahead
Strengthening of currently active initiatives by
capacity
building,
improving
program
structure and spectrum of the existing I&TF.
Seeking cooperation with IO and individual
donor countries, analyzing their objectives
and seeking synergy between programs.
Identifying
common
challenges
and
approaches on regional base.
Way ahead
Development of new project ideas among others the following:
• Civil – military relations. Build up of civil expert capacity on
security and defense issues.
• Establishing a regional security institutions regional forum.
• Gender aspects forum – women serving in the armed forces.
• Establish a regional network of NGO’s working on security
issues.
• Develop forum of parliamentary cooperation, harmonization of
legislation on security issues
• Establish a forum on common regional military battles history
Building Human Capital and Cross-Cutting
Issues
Objective:
Development of the knowledge complex: education,
research, innovation
+
- valorisation of human capacity potential
=
sustainable social and economic development
Key players and partners:
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Task Force Fostering and Building Human Capital: chaired by Romania and Co-Chaired by
Austria and Croatia; coordinating activities and promoting continuous dialogue and information
exchange
Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) - a regional, high-level platform
for policy and expert cooperation in education in South Eastern Europe
Steering Platform on Research for the Western Balkans, science and technology cooperation
between the WB and EU, integration of WB into the European Research Area
European Commission
EU Member States, Council of Europe, OSCE, OECD, UNDP, IMF, USAID, UNESCO, ETF, World
Bank,
Tools
• Memorandum of Understanding between the relevant ministers of
Education, Science and Research in SEE
• Multi - beneficiary IPA
• Tempus program - cooperation among higher education institutions in EU
members and SEE countries. Implementation of Bologna process
• Erasmus Mundus - cooperation and mobility program aiming to improve
European higher education and to promote intercultural understanding
• FP7
Expected results:
• Increased awareness of the importance of human capital in
sustainable economic development
• Improved regional cooperation among universities in SEE
countries and with the EU Member States
• Increased mobility of students and academic staff
• Greater research cooperation across SEE countries and with
EU partners
• Improved Centers of Excellence;
• Strengthened capacities of public administrations
• Better intercultural understanding
Parliamentary Co-operation as an overarching theme
Raison d'être
• Functioning and efficient democratic processes are a prerequisite for
political stability, economic development, social cohesion and overall trust
of democratic institutions.
• Parliaments as legislators, play a crucial role in promoting and
implementing relevant reforms and in increasing the efficiency and
transparency of the governing structures of the Region.
• The RCC has recognized the importance of parliamentary co-operation as
one of the most important factors able to influence the process of
democratization of the region.
Key objectives:
• Strengthening the democratic efficiency and effectiveness of the
Parliaments in South Eastern Europe
• Promoting bilateral and multilateral co-operation among
Parliaments in South Eastern Europe
• Contributing to bringing closer to the European Union the
parliamentary structures of the region
Main activities:
• Capacity building seminars and initiatives for MPs and Parliamentary staff
with a variety of partners.
• Support the regionally initiated parliamentary co-operation
structures such as the Western Balkans COSAP, the Cetinje Parliamentary
Forum and the SEE Women MPs network
• Promote internal reforms and bringing the SEE parliamentary structures
closer to the European Union through the activities of the regionally owned
structures
Main activities:
• Capacity building seminars and initiatives for MPs and Parliamentary staff
with a variety of partners.
• Support the regionally initiated parliamentary co-operation
structures such as the Western Balkans COSAP, the Cetinje Parliamentary
Forum and the SEE Women MPs network
• Promote internal reforms and bringing the SEE parliamentary structures
closer to the European Union through the activities of the regionally owned
structures