1999/345/CFSP: Common Position of 17 May 1999 adopted by the Council on the basis of Article 15 of the Treaty on European Union, concerning a Stability Pact for South- Eastern Europe
Date: 1999-05-17
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, democratisation, economic reconstruction, international cooperation, public safety, settlement of disputes

28. 5. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 133/1

(Acts adopted pursuant to Title V of the Treaty on European Union)

COMMON POSITION

of 17 May 1999

adopted by the Council on the basis of Article 15 of the Treaty on European
Union, concerning a Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe

(1999/345/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(8)

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in
particular Article 15 thereof;

the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia should be
invited to participate in such a Stability Pact once it
has met the necessary conditions,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

on 8 and 26 April 1999 the Council adopted
conclusions concerning South-Eastern Europe;

a political solution to the Kosovo crisis must be
embedded in a determined effort geared towards
stabilising the region as a whole;

a Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe should be
prepared;

such a Stability Pact should be founded on the UN
Charter, the principles and commitments of the
OSCE, and the relevant treaties and conventions of
the Council of Europe, in particular the European
Convention on Human Rights;

the European Union should play the leading role
in the Stability Pact, the OSCE has a key role to
play in fostering security and stability, and the
Stability Pact should be developed and imple-
mented in close association with the OSCE;

the European Union, within the framework of the
regional approach and beyond, is already active in
strengthening democratic and economic institu-
tions in the region through a number of well estab-
lished programmes;

the European Union will drawn the region closer to
the perspective of full integration of these countries
into its structures through a new kind of contrac-
tual relationship, taking into account the individual
situation of each country, with a perspective of
European Union membership on the basis of the
Treaty of Amsterdam and once the Copenhagen
criteria have been met;

HAS ADOPTED THIS COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

1.
the European Union will play the leading role in
establishing a Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe.

The aim of this Stability Pact is to help ensure
2.
cooperation among its participants
towards compre-
hensive measures for the long-term stabilisation, security,
democratisation, and economic reconstruction and devel-
opment of
the region, and for the establishment of
durable good-neighbourly relations among and between
them, and with the international community.

The European Union will work to ensure the crea-
3.
tion among the participants themselves of a ‘South-
Eastern Europe Regional Table'
to carry forwards the
Stability Pact.

Article 2

In order to further the objectives stated in Article 1
1.
the European Union will convene a conference on South-
Eastern Europe.

take place at

The conference will

the level of
2.
Foreign Ministers, if possible no later than the end of July
1999. The conference will be held using the Royaumont
(excluding the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
format
until
the international
the conditions of
community for its participation). In addition, representa-
tives of Canada, Japan, EBRD, EIB, IMF, WB, OECD,
UN, NATO, WEU, UNHCR, as well as representatives of
regional initiatives will also participate at the conference.

it has met

L 133/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28. 5. 1999

The conference will be prepared at a meeting in
3.
K(cid:148)nigswinter (Petersberg) on 27 May 1999 at the level of
senior officials, in the format set out in paragraph 2. With
a view to this, work for this conference will be carried
forward urgently.

Article 4

This Common Position shall take effect on the date of its
adoption.

Article 5

Article 3

This Common Position shall be published in the Official
Journal.

The European Union will actively support the coun-
1.
tries in the region in achieving the objectives on the
Stability Pact.

2.
The European Union will undertake together with
international donors to organise a donors/reconstruction
conference for South-Eastern Europe.

Done at Brussels, 17 May 1999.

For the Council

The President

J. FISCHER