Newsletters archive
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