The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) was officially launched at the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Process (SEECP) in Sofia, on Feb. 27, 2008, as a continuation of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. RCC consists of 46 countries, international organizations and financial institutions.
According to the decision of February 2013 of the RCC Board, on approving the list of the organization members, in contrast to the previous list, a decision was made regarding the participation of Kosovo in the RCC, not under the banner of UNMIK , but that of Kosovo (with asterisk), thus avoiding ambiguities of Kosovo representation in RCC structures.
RCC focuses on promoting and enhancing regional cooperation in Southeast Europe, aiming at the European and Euro- Atlantic integration of the aspiring countries, providing operational capacities and working under the political guidance of the SEECP.
In accordance with its statute and guided by the principle of comprehensiveness, the RCC main tasks are:
Representation of region
Assistance to SEECP
Monitoring of regional activities
Support for the involvement of civil society in regional activities etc.
Coordination and regeneration of regional projects and the creation of a favorable political climate for their implementation
Bringing EU non-member countries closer to European structures and their integration into the EU
The RCC activity focuses on priority areas of economic and social development, such as:
-Economic and social development
-Infrastructure and energy
-Justice issues
-Cooperation in the field of security
-Human capacity building
-Inter-parliamentary cooperation
The preparation and implementation of the Strategy and Work Plan for 2014-2016, launched on February 28, 2013, in Sarajevo, at the meeting of the RCC Board, constitutes the basic document on which the work of the RCC will be organized.
RCC aims to strengthen the alignment of EU institutions and their financial support in relation to the implementation of the Strategy and Work Plan for RCC, 2014-2016, as well as SEE 2020.
The annual budget of the RCC Secretariat is under 3 million euros, of which 40 % are a result of the contribution ofSoutheastern Europeancountries, 30 % of the European Commission and 30 % of other RCC participants.
The RCC has a secretariat in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a Liaison Office in Brussels.
For more information, click on: http://www.rcc.int/
