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Newsletter 25/2013 - March 21, 2013
IN FOCUS:
 | SOUTH EAST EUROPE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY: A VEHICLE TO BETTER 2020, by Goran Svilanovic, RCC Secretary General |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Jelko Kacin, Member of European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo* |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | EU financial assistance - a tool in the service of progress , Dean, College of International Management and Business Budapest Business School, Hungary |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Regional Cooperation Council awarded for extraordinary contribution to humanism
- South East Europe Investment Committee meeting focuses on regional growth strategy
- German ambassadors from Western Balkans extend support to RCC work
- 5 years of Regional Cooperation Council marked in Sarajevo
- Regional Cooperation Council’s Board amends organization’s statute to allow participation of Kosovo*
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 24/2012 - December 27, 2012
IN FOCUS:
 | SEEING ITS FUTURE, THE REGION CAN DEAL WITH THE PRESENT, by Hido Biscevic, outgoing RCC Secretary General |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | South East Europe: Challenges old and new, Head of Sofia Office and Senior Policy Fellow European Council on Foreign Relations |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Task Force of Sustainable Energy Development Regional Initiative met in Belgrade
- Policy paper on ‘new skills for new jobs’ in Western Balkans adopted in Sarajevo
- Regional Cooperation Council honoured for extraordinary contribution to humanism with Sloboda award
- Brussels policy dialogue ‘Unity in diversity’ discusses regional cooperation, Balkans and EU relations
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 23/2012 - November 20, 2012
IN FOCUS:
 | CONNECT TO EUROPE TO CONNECT EUROPE, by Amna Redzepagic, Expert on Infrastructure, RCC Secretariat |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Fabrizio Barbaso, Deputy Director General, Directorate General Energy, European Commission |
 | INTERVIEW with Martin Schultz, President of the European Parliament |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- RCC Board reviews cooperation in South East Europe
- Sarajevo hosted conference focusing on lifelong learning and non-formal adult education in South East Europe
- 2.2 million euro worth Women entrepreneurship – a job creation engine for South East Europe project launched in Sarajevo
- 3rd road congress agrees on further development of road infrastructure in South East Europe
- Museums network in South East Europe established at ministerial conference in Skopje
- Economy ministers of Western Balkans agree on 11 targets for regional economic growth by 2020
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 22/2012 - September 18, 2012
IN FOCUS:
 | CITIZENS’ SECURITY AND WELLBEING, AIM OF REGIONAL COOPERATION, by Predrag Vujicic, Expert on Justice and Home Affairs, RCC Secretariat |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | ARTICLE by Giuseppe Benassi, Deputy Director of the NATO Office of Security |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Truly independent judiciary is not less than fundamental necessity for RCC members, Judge at Court of Judicature and Chairman of Law Commission, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Competitiveness benefits from investments in information and communication technologies, concludes meeting on electronic-South East Europe
- New Skills for New Jobs conference discusses long-term social development in Western Balkans
- Extension of Single European Sky Programme in South East Europe beyond 2012 proposed at the third ISIS Governing Body meeting
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 21/2012 - July 18, 2012
IN FOCUS:
 | RCC ANNUAL MEETING – MIRROR IMAGE: MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE, by Hido Biscevic, Secretary General, Regional Cooperation Council |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Joost Korte, Deputy Director General, Directorate General for Enlargement, European Commission, Brussels |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Regional cooperation needs tireless work of an institution like the RCC, Executive Director, Southeast Europe Association, Munich, Germany |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Reinforced protection of cultural heritage in South East Europe agreed at the RC Task Force on Culture and Society meeting
- Conference on investigative journalism and data protection held in Pula, Croatia
- Regional access to finance forum held under RCC, USAID and Sida auspices
- South East European experts prepare conventions on criminal, civil and commercial matters
- 1st media law academy in South East Europe held in Zagreb, Croatia
- SEECP Heads of State and Governments praise RCC achievements over the past year, approve of the organization’s new Secretary General
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 20/2012 - May 18, 2012
IN FOCUS:
 | BALANCING AMBITION WITH REALISM by Sanjin Arifagic, Head of Economic and Social Development Unit, RCC Secretariat |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Benefiting from the new positive energy through South East Europe Investment Committee, European Training Foundation (ETF), Turin, Italy |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Platform for joint action signed by eight South East European stock exchanges
- Southeast Europe Investment Committee (SEEIC) adopts Work Programme for 2012-2013 at 10th meeting in Sarajevo
- International Girls in ICT Day stresses greater involvement of female students in the sector
- Project to improve cooperation in South East Europe by strengthening Regional Cooperation Council launched in Sarajevo
- Regional Cooperation Council Board accepts organization’s annual report
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 19/2012 - March 16, 2012
IN FOCUS:
 | GROWTH OF SOUTH EAST EUROPE VIA INNOVATIVE ECONOMIES, by Vlastimir Matejic, President of European Movement, Serbia |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Will Bartlett, Senior Research Fellow in the Political Economy of South East Europe, London School of Economics, United Kingdom |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | A bet on the future, President, European Research Council, Brussels |
 | New skills for new jobs, President of Trade Union of Financial Organizations, Montenegro |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- The first meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council’s Board in 2012 held in Sarajevo
- RCC marks its 4th anniversary with panel discussion, ‘From ownership to responsibility: Regional cooperation in South East Europe and EU membership’
- Environmental policies and trends discussed by European and Western Balkans parliamentarians
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 18/2011 - December 20, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | A YEAR OF CONTRASTS: ACHIEVEMENTS vs. CHALLENGES, by Hido Biscevic, RCC Secretary General |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
 | INTERVIEW with Sven Alkalaj, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
 | Key achievements of the first year of implementation of RCC Strategy and Work Programme, and a way forward |
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament, Brussels |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Squaring EU accession and regional cooperation in the Balkans, European Policy Centre, Brussels |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Conference of regional civil society organisations to enhance their participation in EU accession process
- Regional needs in justice, home affairs and security cooperation in South East Europe assessed at Belgrade conference
- EUR 1.5 million project on Western Balkans’ research and development strategy launched in Belgrade
- Management of South East Europe Investment Committee transferred from OECD to RCC
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 17/2011 - November 17, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY AS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR CHANGE, by Ranko Krivokapić, Speaker of Parliament, Montenegro |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
 | Support to Cetinje Parliamentary Forum to give regional parliaments a greater voice in preparing for EU accession |
 | Efficient parliaments in South East Europe, tool for moving the region forward |
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Eduard Kukan, Chairman of Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo, European Parliament |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | National parliaments of candidate countries and European Parliament need to cooperate in the EU pre–accession phase, Member of European Parliament, Sweden |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Commitment to regional growth boosted at high level meeting on information society development
- Independence and sustainability of public service media in South East Europe focus of Sarajevo conference
- Regulation of informal settlements in South East Europe discussed at conference on urban planning
- European Commission to commit over 130 million euro to regional cooperation projects in Western Balkans in 2012
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 16/2011 - October 17, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | RAILWAYS REFORM IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE - A LOCOMOTIVE FOR EUROPE, by Hido Biscevic, RCC Secretary General |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- South East European health ministers sign Banja Luka Pledge committing to work towards health in all policies
- South East European public media sign Protocol on regional cooperation, under RCC auspices
- Military intelligence chiefs from South East Europe step up cooperation
- South East European education inspectors hold first training at Regional School for Public Administration
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 15/2011 - September 15, 2011
IN FOCUS:
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Olivier Pascal, Directorate General Information Society and Media, European Commission |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Information Societies are all about freedoms, rights and corresponding responsibilities, Director of One World for SEE, regional non-governmental organisation, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 14/2011 - July 14, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | TIME IS RIPE TO POOL AROUND LARGE-SCALE REGIONAL PROJECTS, by Hido Biscevic, RCC Secretary General |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Stefano Sannino, Director General, Directorate General for Enlargement, European Commission |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- South East European Heads of State and Government praise work of Regional Cooperation Council and endorse the organization's Annual Report
- Regional Cooperation Council’s Task Force on Culture and Society established in Cetinje, Montenegro
- RCC Secretariat briefs diplomatic community in Sarajevo on its achievements, implementation of strategy and results of 3rd Annual Meeting
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 13/2011 - June 14, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | SOUTH EAST EUROPE GAINING SECURITY OWNERSHIP, by Sorin Sterie, Expert on Security Issues at RCC Secretariat |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Pierre Vimont, Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), EU |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Sava river basin potentials discussed at RCC-hosted roundtable
- Social agenda for the Western Balkans in focus of RCC-organized conference in Sarajevo
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 12/2011 - May 14, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | LESS THAN A DECADE FROM NOW, by Hido Biscevic, RCC Secretary General |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
 | Regional commitment to reforms leads to sustainable and inclusive growth |
 | SMART growth requires boosting research, development and innovation |
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Michael Leigh, Director General for Enlargement, European Commission |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Concrete steps towards increasing road safety in South East Europe discussed at Sarajevo conference
- RCC Board meeting and Coordination meeting between South-East European Cooperation Process and RCC held in Sarajevo
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 11/2011 - April 14, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | INTERVIEW with Dimitrios Droutsas, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Greece |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Janos Martonyi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hungary |
 | INTERVIEW with Matthias Kollatz-Ahnen, Vice-President, European Investment Bank |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- South East European ministers endorse regional strategy on justice and home affairs
- Role of Western Balkan parliaments in EU accession discussed in Sarajevo
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 10/2011 - March 15, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | RCC GATHERS ACTORS TO DEVELOP REGIONAL JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS STRATEGY, by Virgil Constantin Ivan Cucu, Head of Justice and Home Affairs Unit |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Wouter Van de Rijt, Principal Administrator, General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Regional Cooperation Council marks 3rd anniversary
- Strengthening the parliaments of Western Balkan countries in focus of Sarajevo seminar
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 9/2011 - February 15, 2011
IN FOCUS:
 | COMMON APPROACH TO CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE, by Mladen Dragasevic, Head of Building Human Capital Unit, Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
 | INTERVIEW with Branislav Micunovic, Minister of Culture, Montenegro |
 | Task Force on Culture and Society, platform for rehabilitation of cultural heritage in South East Europe |
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Wenceslas de Lobkowicz, Advisor on Inter-cultural Dialogue and Cultural Heritage, Directorate General for Enlargement, European Commission |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Zagreb conference presents latest developments and way forward in Public Private Partnerships in South East Europe
- Regional Cooperation Council hosts meeting of South East European Research Area for e-Infrastructures
- Conference of National Councils of European Movement in South East Europe held in Podgorica, Montenegro
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 8/2010 - December 16, 2010
IN FOCUS:
 | AT THE TURN OF THE YEAR: NEW WINDS, NEW OPPORTUNITIES, by Hido Biscevic, Secretary General, Regional Cooperation Council |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Steven Vanackere, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Belgium |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | South East Europe: more than a geographical reality?, President of IEDC-Bled School of Management, Slovenia |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Draft strategy on justice and security cooperation in South East Europe finalized
- Stronger national supervisory authorities guarantee more efficient and safer air transport
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 7/2010 - November 16, 2010
IN FOCUS:
 | PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION, by Hannes Swoboda, Member of European Parliament |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Ulrike Lunacek, Member of European Parliament |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | With unified parliamentary forces to forward-looking projects, Former Vice President of German Bundestag and Senior Consultant |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- National strategies in fighting terrorism to be coordinated at regional and international level
- Education inspectors identify joint approaches to professional development and training in South East Europe
- Security of supplies goes hand in hand with reduced pollution
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 6/2010 - October 20, 2010
IN FOCUS:
 | REGIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENCE COOPERATION IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE, by Ljubica Jelušič, Minister of Defence of Slovenia |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Regional security cooperation between necessity and community building, Director of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Nine South East European military intelligence chiefs sign cooperation statement
- Regional Cooperation Council’s Board establishes task force on culture and society
- First Forum for South East European Women Entrepreneurs held in Istanbul
- Workshop on democratic policing in South East Europe discusses application of best practices in the field
- Development of Western Balkans education capacities over the next 10 years should be strategic, says international conference in Dubrovnik
- Initiative on sustainable energy development for South East Europe launched in Trieste
- Parliamentarians from Western Balkans and Turkey agree to develop new models of cooperation in fight against poverty and social exclusion
- South East European public broadcasters request support from European institutions to avoid digitalization gap
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 5/2010 - September 15, 2010
IN FOCUS:
 | INTEGRATED INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING, by Miroslav Kukobat, Head of Infrastructure and Energy Unit, Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, European Commission |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 4/2010 - July 14, 2010
IN FOCUS:
 | NEW RCC STRATEGY FOR 2011-2013, by RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | How to move beyond bilateral disputes?, Director, Open Society Institute (OSI) – Brussels |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- New RCC strategy endorsed and the organization’s Secretary General re-appointed by South East European leaders in Istanbul last month
- First meeting for preparing South East European strategy on justice and home affairs held in Sarajevo, under RCC auspices
- Regional Cooperation Council supported workshop on Energy Community organized by Albanian parliament
- Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat hosted e-leadership workshop in Sarajevo
- 6th Conference of the Bled Process on Stolen Vehicle Crime held in Sarajevo
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 3/2010 - June 17, 2010
IN FOCUS:
 | JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS, by Catalin Predoiu, Romanian Minister of Justice |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Jonathan Faull, Director General for Justice, Freedom and Security, European Commission |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Staying behind for too long can only strengthen nationalism: EU plans to open its door to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania by the end of 2010, Member of European Parliament |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 2/2010 - May 19, 2010
IN FOCUS:
 | BUILDING HUMAN CAPITAL, by Valeriu Lazar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of the Republic of Moldova |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | INTERVIEW with Eduard Kukan, Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Countries of South East Europe |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Education and lifelong learning, innovation ecology, top-rated business environment: keys to a successful knowledge-based economy, International consultant, former Vice President of the World Bank |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- Participants of the First Road Infrastructure Safety Management Conference agree about priority actions
- European Movement Councils from South East Europe meet in Sarajevo for the first time, under RCC auspices
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Newsletter 1/2010 - April 14, 2010
IN FOCUS:
 | Foreword by Hido Biščević, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council |
OUR SOUTH EAST EUROPE:
FROM BRUSSELS ANGLE:
 | Interview with Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy |
GUEST COMMENTATOR:
 | Effects of global economic downturn on South East Europe, South East European Studies Coordinator, Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) |
ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF:
- RCC co-organized workshop stresses importance of public research institutes in upgrading Western Balkans competitiveness
- RCC Secretariat hosts IPA Multi-beneficiary meetings on public administration reform, environment and disaster risk reduction
- Workshop on importance of air transport for economic and social development of South East Europe held in Sarajevo
EVENTS CALENDAR:
Impressum
Published by: Media Unit, Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat
Editor: Dinka Živalj, Spokesperson/Head of Media Unit
Contributor: Ratka Babić
Design by: ENIGMA
Contact: press@rcc.int
