Proposal for a Council Decision on the appointment of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe
Date: 2007-10-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Western Balkans, appointment of staff, diplomatic representation, economic stabilisation, peacekeeping, regional cooperation, stability pact

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 3.10.2007 
COM(2007) 563 final 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

on the appointment of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact 
for South-Eastern Europe 

(presented by the Commission) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

The Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe (SP) is a regional policy framework set up by the 
international community in Cologne on 10 June 1999 in order to support the countries in that 
region  in  their  efforts  to  foster  peace,  democracy,  respect  for  human  rights  and  economic 
prosperity, and to achieve stability in the region as a whole. Paragraph 13 of the Stability Pact 
for  South-Eastern  Europe  stipulates  that  the  Stability  Pact  will  have  a  Special  Coordinator 
appointed by the European Union, after consultation with the OSCE Chairman in Office and 
other participants, and endorsed by the OSCE Chairman in Office.  

Further to Article 1.a of Council Regulation (EC) No 1080/2000 of 22 May 2000 on support 
for  the  United  Nations  Interim  Mission  in  Kosovo  (UNMIK),  the  Office  of  the  High 
Representative  in  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  (OHR)  and  the  Stability  Pact  for  South-Eastern 
Europe  (SP),  the  Council,  acting  on  a  proposal  by  the  Commission,  appoints  the  Special 
Coordinator of the Stability Pact on a yearly basis.  

The Regional Table of the Stability Pact endorsed in Belgrade on 30 May 2006 a transition 
plan  in  view  of  the  phasing  out  of  the  Stability  Pact  by  early  2008  and  the  corresponding 
transfer  of  ownership  for  regional  cooperation  to  a  regional  framework  to  be  based  on  the 
South  East  European  Cooperation  Process  (SEECP)  and  led  by  the  countries  of  the  region 
themselves.  The  mandate  of  the  Special  Coordinator  for  2007  has  focused  on  the 
implementation  of  the  transformation  process.  The  Stability  Pact  on  the  one  side,  and  the 
countries of the region of South-East Europe, on the other side, cooperating in the framework 
of  the  SEECP,  assisted  by  the  Commission  and  other  partners,  have  been  working  on  the 
establishment  of  the  Regional  Cooperation  Council  (RCC)  and  the  definition  of  its 
relationship with the SEECP.  

During the Regional Table of the Stability Pact on 10 May 2007 and the SEECP Summit in 
Zagreb on 11 May 2007, the main texts relating to the RCC were agreed upon. The SEECP 
Summit  appointed  the  first  Secretary  General  of  the  RCC  and  selected  the  seat  for  its 
Secretariat.  These  decisions  have  been  welcomed  by  the  Council,  which  reconfirmed  the 
European Union’s readiness  to  remain involved, together with other  donors and  partners, in 
the  forthcoming  implementation  of  the  phased  evolution  of  the  Stability  Pact  into  the 
Regional Cooperation Council.  

Until  the  end  of  2007,  it  is  expected  that  the  main  preparatory  tasks  related  to  the 
establishment  of  the  Secretariat  will  be  completed.  The  Commission  has  provided  modest 
additional support of the order of €100,000 to the Stability Pact in order to fully cover all the 
administrative  tasks  related  to  its  transformation,  including  the  setting  up  of  the  RCC 
Secretariat. The hand-over from the Stability Pact to the RCC is expected to take place by the 
end of February 2008. A period of overlapping between the Stability Pact and the RCC of a 
maximum of 3 months is foreseen, during which the Stability Pact will provide coaching and 
transfer of know-how to the RCC. In order to match the timeline of the transition plan, it is 
proposed that the mandate of the Special Coordinator is extended for the period from January 
to June 2008.  

It is therefore proposed for the Council to adopt, before 31 December 2007, a decision on the 
re-appointment  of  Dr  Busek  as  Special  Coordinator,  which  will  apply  from  1  January  2008 
until 30 June 2008. The Commission has consulted the OSCE Chairman in Office and other 
participants in the Stability Pact and proposes that the Council reappoints Dr Erhard Busek as 
Special  Coordinator  of  the  Stability  Pact.  The mandate  of  the  Special  Coordinator  is  drawn 

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from the one laid down in Council Decision (EC) No 2006/921 of 11 December 2006 on the 
appointment of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe for the 
year 2007 with a special emphasis on the hand-over to the Regional Cooperation Council and 
coaching of the Secretary General of the RCC. 

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Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

on the appointment of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact 
for South-Eastern Europe 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1080/2000 of 22 May 2000 on support for the 
United Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the Office of the High Representative 
in Bosnia and Herzegovina (OHR) and the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe (SP)1, and 
in particular Article 1a thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

On 10 June 1999 the Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the European Union 
and  the  Commission  of  the  European  Communities,  together  with  the  other 
participants  in  the  Stability  Pact  for  South-Eastern  Europe,  agreed  to  establish  a 
Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, hereinafter called the ‘Stability Pact’. 

Article  1a  of  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  1080/2000  provides  for  the  Special 
Coordinator of the Stability Pact to be appointed on an annual basis. 

It is necessary to establish, together with the appointment, a mandate for the Special 
Coordinator.  The  mandate  laid  down  in  Council  Decision  2006/921/EC  of  11 
December 2006 on the appointment of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for 
South-Eastern  Europe2  for  2006  is  appropriate.  Further  to  the  conclusions  of  the 
Stability  Pact’s  Regional  Table  held  in  Zagreb  on  10  May  2007,  the  South-East 
European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Ministerial and Summit meetings held on 10 
and 11 May 2007, as well as the Council Conclusions of May 2007 calling upon the 
Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact, the new Secretary General and the Bulgarian 
SEECP  Chairmanship  in  Office  to  ensure  a  smooth  and  timely  final  hand-over  from 
the  Stability  pact  to  the  new  structures,  this  mandate  includes  a  special  emphasis  on 
the  requirements  of  the  transition  to  regional  ownership  and  the  need  to  ensure  a 
smooth  and  timely  hand-over  to  the  Secretary  General  of  the  Regional  Cooperation 
Council (RCC) until the end of the mandate. 

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OJ  L  122,  24.5.2000,  p.27.  Regulation  as  amended  by  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  2098/2003  of 
27 November 2003 (OJ L 316, 29.11.2003, p.1). 
OJ L 351, 13.12.2006, p.19. 

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(4) 

It  is  appropriate  to  lay  down  clear  lines  of  responsibility  as  well  as  guidance  on 
coordination and reporting, 

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:  

Dr  Erhard  BUSEK  is  hereby  appointed  Special  Coordinator  of  the  Stability  Pact  for  South 
Eastern Europe. 

Article 1 

The Special Coordinator shall carry out the functions provided for in point 13 of the Stability 
Pact of 10 June 1999. 

Article 2 

Article 3 

In  order  to  achieve  the  objective  referred  to  in  Article  2,  the  mandate  of  the  Special 
Coordinator shall be to:  

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

promote  achievement  of  the  Pact's  objectives  within,  and  between,  the  individual 
countries, where the Pact proves to have an added value;  

chair the South-Eastern Europe Regional Table;  

maintain close contact with all participants and facilitating States, organisations and 
institutions  of  the  Stability  Pact,  as  well  as  relevant  regional  initiatives  and 
organisations, with a view to fostering regional cooperation and enhancing regional 
ownership;  

cooperate  closely  with  all  institutions  of  the  European  Union  and  with  its  Member 
States in order to promote the role of the European Union in the Pact in accordance 
with  points  18,  19,  and  20  of  the  Stability  Pact  and  to  ensure  complementarity 
between the work of the Stability Pact and the Stabilisation and Association Process;  

meet  periodically  and  collectively  as  appropriate  with  the  Chairs  of  the  Working 
Tables to ensure strategic overall coordination and act as the secretariat of the South-
Eastern Europe Regional Table and its instruments;  

work  on  the  basis  of  a  list,  agreed  in  advance  and  in  consultation  with  the 
participants  in  the  Stability  Pact,  of  priority  actions  for  the  Stability  Pact  to 
implement in the first half of 2008, and adjust the working methods and structures of 
the  Stability  Pact  to  the  needs  of  the  transition  to  regional  ownership,  ensuring 
consistency and efficient use of resources; 

facilitate the implementation of the transition to regional ownership in accordance to 
the  conclusions  of  the  Regional  Table  on  30  May  2006  and  to  this  purpose  work 
closely with the South East European Cooperation Process, the Regional Cooperation 
Council  and  its  Secretary  General;  particular  attention  shall  be  given  to  the 

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establishment  of  the  Regional  Cooperation  Council  and  of  its  secretariat;  special 
emphasis shall be put on the streamlining of the various Task Forces and initiatives 
of the Stability Pact; 

(h) 

ensure  a  smooth  and  timely  hand-over  to  the  Secretary  General  of  the  Regional 
Cooperation Council and the closing down of remaining administrative operations of 
the Stability Pact. 

The Special Coordinator shall conclude a financing agreement with the Commission. 

Article 4 

Article 5 

The  activities  of  the  Special  Coordinator  shall  be  coordinated  with  those  of  the  Secretary 
General of the Council/High Representative for the CFSP, the Presidency of the Council and 
the  Commission,  notably  in  the  framework  of  the  Informal  Consultative  Committee.  In  the 
field, close liaison shall be maintained with the Presidency of the Council, the Commission, 
the Member States’ Heads of Mission, the Special Representatives of the European Union, as 
well as with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United 
Nations Civil Administration in Kosovo. 

The Special Coordinator shall report, as appropriate, to the Council and the Commission. He 
will continue to inform the European Parliament regularly about his activities. 

Article 6 

This  Decision  shall  take  effect  on  the  day  following  that  of  its  publication  in  the  Official 
Journal of the European Union.  

Article 7 

It shall apply from 1 January 2008 until 30 June 2008. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

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