Sintra

27 November, 2009

Regional Approach to Development Challenges of

South East Europe

The RCC’s Objectives: Contributing to the enhancement of stability, security,

mutual respect and open dialogue in South Eastern Europe Facilitator of Euro and Euro-Atlantic integration Rebranding the image of SEE and instilling the notion of

regional cooperation Acting as a 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 Multi-Beneficiary 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.

RCC Achievements May2008-November2009:

Completed transition process from the Stability Pact for the SEE to RCC

Political consultations with RCC members RCC presentations held in the SEE capitals Mapping of national priorities regarding regional

cooperation in SEE Coordination and streamlining of SEE regional initiatives

and structures Initiated networking process among RCC Secretariat,

members from SEE, EC and IFIs (including Multi-Beneficiary IPA and IFIAG)

Cooperation with other regional organizations and initiatives (CEI, BSEC, AII, Danube Cooperation Process)

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.

Different priority areas: economic and social development; energy and infrastructure; JHA; security; and building human capital.

RCC PLATFORMRCC PLATFORM

RCC-EC MBIPA Programming Process

EU Assistance for IPA Beneficiaries: - Achievement of the EU standards

SEE efforts to achieve:- Regional development priorities- EU standards

SEECountries’ Regional Interests

EU interests

MBIPA

Cross border Cooperation

Challenges: Proliferation of different support programs and

regional initiatives. Institutional competition. Insufficient donor coordination. Greater coherence of assistance mechanisms

and sequencing needed. Discrepancy between regional ownership,

leadership and regional program and project implementation capacity.

Moving beyond dialogue to greater results orientation.

Risks:

• Effects of the global economic crisis in the region;

• Slowing down of the European integration process in the

• Western Balkans;• Deterioration of bilateral political relations in

the region;• Fragility of the established regional

structures.

In its priority areas RCC will: Help providing a coordinated response to the global

crisis. Act in a pro-active way based on a strategic approach

and in accordance with national priorities, in particular regarding the EU accession.

Develop regional programs to be supported by relevant international organizations and other donors.

Help its SEE members and regional initiatives and task forces to acquire lacking knowledge and expertise in management of the project cycles.

Energy and Infrastructure

Energy and InfrastructureThe overall objectives of the RCC are:• Strengthening regional infrastructure cooperation and

integration as the preceding steps towards wider EU integration;

• Offering assistance for compatible infrastructure reforms of SAP countries;

• Promoting the regional approach in addressing infrastructure needs;

• Sustainable infrastructure development as an important prerequisite for the overall sustainable economic growth in the long-term.

Energy and InfrastructureAchievements:• Intensified and improved bilateral and regional cooperation in

energy and infrastructure development in the last decade.• All RCC members from SEE included in the expanding Energy

Community.• 7 out of 12 RCC members from SEE included in the MoU on Core

Transport Network and Transport Community Treaty Negotiations with possibilities for the expansion of the geographical scope.

• 9 out of 12 included in ECAA, and SEE FABA. • 9 out of 12 RCC members from SEE included in the REC with

REC country offices.• Completion of REReP and its transformation to the RENA.• Numerous regional initiatives, task forces, projects supported

by the EC, bilateral and multilateral donors, IFIs and national contributions.

• Creating and developing the inventory of priority projects.

Energy and InfrastructureAchievements:• RCC established cooperation with main partners: EC

relevant DGs; ECS, SEETO and REC that are fully operational.

• RCC supports and cooperates with variety of regional organizations, TFs, initiatives, projects and NGOs (BSEC, CEI, AII, UNECE, BSREC, IENE, WEC SEE TFE, NALAS, EFSDR, RENEUER, DCP, DC, ICPDR, ISRBC, REReP, PEIP, ENVSEC, ECENA, B&H CEE, EnEffect, REIC…)

• RCC prepares Infrastructure Project Proposals, in cooperation with beneficiaries and regional organisations, to be financed through MB IPA, donor community and national contributions.

Energy and InfrastructureAchievements:• RCC co-organizes and hosts the infrastructure events.• RCC points out and contributes in addressing the major

bottlenecks in the infrastructure development; • RCC promotes an approach that more advanced RCC

members from SEE assist to those coping with the infrastructure reform delay;

• It promotes continued involvement of international donor community, expansion of regional cooperation supporters and private sector participation;

• RCC monitors strategic infrastructure developments internationally.

Energy and InfrastructureChallenges:• Low energy security in the region.• Urgent need to develop environmentally friendly and

economically viable transport modes and inter-modality.• Climate Change vulnerability of the region.• Deteriorating financing opportunities for the

development of infrastructure. • Tariffs for infrastructure products and services that do

not reflect costs and are conflicting to affordability.

Energy and InfrastructureChallenges:• Slow decision making process to construct new

infrastructure.• Lack of fair, transparent and diligent public tendering

procedures when contracting the project.• Insufficient mechanisms in attracting private sector

participation in financing infrastructure development.• Delay in implementation of EU infrastructure

requirements and ensuring the enforcement of relevant treaties.

• Shortage of comprehensive public support to infrastructure reform and development.

Energy and InfrastructureRecommendations:• Efficient development of legal, regulatory and institutional

frameworks in compliance with the acquis primarily specified within relevant infrastructure acts and treaties.

• Establishment of regional infrastructure markets as integral elements of Trans European Networks based on compatible national models.

• Strengthened partnership among all stakeholders (governments, industries, trade unions, research centers, academia, local authorities, NGOs etc.) and, in particular, use advantages of the PPP model in infrastructure development.

• Coordinated approach of EC, IFIs and donor community to support regional infrastructure development.

• Zero carbon economy in the long-term – tool for combating crisis, new employment, various social and economic opportunities.

Energy and InfrastructureRecommendations:• Establishment of mechanism of coordination between the

main infrastructure players in order to promote integrated approach and multidisciplinary projects as response to multidisciplinary challenges.

• Raising awareness of policy makers on the importance of regional approach in improving energy and infrastructure markets, planning and attracting investments, ensuring the stable and continuous energy supply and infrastructure services.

• Raising awareness of parliamentarians on the substance, scope and dynamics of necessary national infrastructure reforms in order to improve the lawmaking process in the region and parliamentarians ability to oversee their governments` activities.

Energy and InfrastructureGeneral assessment:• Regional cooperation in the area of infrastructure is a

success story due to its role in the European integration, cross-border nature, importance for the overall development, benefits from keeping regional approach.

• Countries recognized importance of regional cooperation in the area of energy, transport and environment, but, due to limited administrative capacities, exchange of information and inputs has not been fully and timely provided.

Energy and InfrastructureObjectives of the RCC in the period 2009-2011:• Continuation of developing synergies with the Energy

Community.• Co-organizing, jointly with the parliaments from the

region and in coordination with the ECS, a sequence of tailor-made workshops for parliamentary committees responsible for energy issues from SEE (2009 – 2011).

• Launching, jointly with the CEI, the initiative on sustainable energy development (2009 - 2010).

• Organizing an event that would gather regional ″energy″ NGOs (2010)

• ITWRM in SEE Regional Workshop follow–up activities (2010-2011).

• Completion of FP agreed with REC (2010).

Energy and InfrastructureObjectives of the RCC in the period 2009-2011:• Continuing of cooperation with the REC in combating CC

and examining other possible areas of cooperation.• Support to the implementation of the EU-funded RENA

programme, once the ReReP project has been completed.• Co-organizing sequence of tailor-made workshops for

parliamentary committees responsible for environmental issues based on RSPC proposal (2009-2011).

• Elaborating, indicating and proposing, together with SEETO, trans-regional infrastructural projects based on the inputs from the RCC members from the region, and contributing to the faster development of the defined infrastructural transport corridors in the region.

Energy and InfrastructureObjectives of the RCC in the period 2009-2011:• Organization of a high-level event supporting

implementation of the UN General Assembly Resolution on Road Safety by the RCC members from SEE (2010).

• Continuation of assistance in the implementation of the ECAA through support for participation of the regional countries in the SEE FABA initiative.

• Examining the possibilities for regional cooperation between civil aviation authorities in different areas, such as accident investigation, licensing, safety oversight of airlines, CC impacts etc.

• Initiating establishment of mechanism of coordination between the ECS, SEETO and the REC – to promote multidisciplinary projects and approaches (2010).