10 Years Southeast European Cooperative Initiative

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2 Erhard Busek (Ed.) 10 Years Southeast European Cooperative Initiative From Dayton to Brussels

3 Dr. Erhard Busek Coordinator of Southeast European Cooperative Initiative, Vienna, Austria This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically those of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, broadcasting, reproduction by photocopying machines or similar means, and storage in data banks. Product Liability: The publisher can give no guarantee for all the information contained in this book. The use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use Springer-Verlag/Wien Printed in Austria SpringerWienNewYork is part of Springer Science+Business Media springer.com Layout: Mag. Stefan Karlhuber, Salzburg, Austria Printing: Theiss GmbH, 9431 St. Stefan, Austria Printed on acid-free and chlorine-free bleached paper SPIN: Library of Congress Control Number: ISBN X SpringerWienNewYork ISBN SpringerWienNewYork

4 Preface The year 2006 marks the 10 th anniversary of the founding of Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), on the initiative of Ambassador Richard Schifter (United States). Europe has changed significantly since then. Regional initiatives such as SECI and the Stability Pact for South East Europe have been successful because of the exemplary cooperation between Europe and the United States. The Euro-Atlantic partnership has resulted in a serious engagement and commitment towards the region and has given it a real European perspective. The question of membership in the European Union is not one of if but of when. The countries of Southeast Europe are at different stages of the European integration process (candidacy, candidacy under negotiation, stabilisation and association agreements, partnership for peace and NATO). Despite all the progress made in a relatively short period of time, the region is still prone to criticism and bad, and is still associated with the violence and bloodshed of the 1990s. Public perception is not always based on accurate information and more needs to be done to highlight the achievements and great strides forward. The 10 th anniversary of SECI is an opportunity to present concrete examples of real practical efforts, which have made a positive impact on the region and those institutions and individuals who made it possible. This book is dedicated to all those who gave their time, effort and commitment to making Southeast Europe a better place. It is a collection of documents, agreements, articles and reflections, which bears witness to ten years of hard work. It also serves as a compendium of experiences and measurable accomplishments. It is a testimony to a real hands-on, practical and cost effective peacemaking operation, which has produce tangible results. The cost benefit analysis of SECI is one of its success stories. I would like to especially thank those who made this book possible. I am grateful to the Herbert Batliner Europainstitut Salzburg and the US Government for their generous financial support. This effort would also not have been possible without the input Vera Budway who is the institutional memory behind SECI and who has been with the initiative since its inception, and Ioana Vasiliu who ensures the day-to-day operations of the SECI office in Vienna. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to all the SECI national coordinators, the United States government, to the European Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the supporting states of Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, Italy, as well as all SECI staff members past and present for ten years of hard work, cooperation and achievement. Erhard Busek

5 Table of Contents From Dayton to Brussels: Ten Years of Moving...1 from Stabilization to Integration Vera M. Budway, Erhard Busek 1. Part 1 SECI: A Post-Dayton Response Historical Context... 1 The Origins of SECI... 2 The SECI Office and its Collaborators... 4 The Relationship between SECI and the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe... 4 New Approaches to Old Challenges Part II Projects: From Vision to Reality Establishing the Groundwork... 7 Setting Priorities... 8 Guaranteeing Stability through Investment: The Role of the Business Advisory Council and its Network Conclusion Annex (List of Documents) Statement of Purpose The Southeast European Cooperative Initiative...25 Speech of Ambassador Richard Schifter SECI Inaugural Session, December Common Points of EU and US Understanding on SECI...32 SECI Press Conference, December List of Possible Programs for SECI SECI Methods of Work...47 List of SECI Vienna Office Staff Members SECI National Coordinators Projects: Priorities and Procedures January Memorandum of Understanding on TTFSE February

6 vii Memorandum of Understanding on Facilitation on International Road Transport April Agreement on Cooperation to Prevent and Combat Trans-border Crime May Charter of Organisation and Operation of the SECI Regional Center for the Combating of Transborder Crime st Meeting of the SECI Joint Cooperation Committee February Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Electricity Transmission Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin Danube Cooperation Process Memorandum of Understanding on the Exchange of Information among Securities Markets in the SECI Countries List of Members of the Business Advisory Council to SECI Declaration Business Advisory Council for South Eastern Europe, December Comments and reflections from the pioneers of SECI Nothing is possible without supporters Erhard Busek Getting SECI Started Richard Schifter Contribution of the ECE to SECI Yves Berthelot The Thermodynamics of SECI Will Keenan SECIPRO Yanis Tsorbatzoglou The SECI Legacy Thomas C. Adams Annex: SECI Office Expenditures Years of SECI Lessons Learned Erhard Busek