News Archive

RCC, EBRD, EIB organising Investing in Digitalisation in the Western Balkans Conference tomorrow in Sarajevo
27 Mar 2023

Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Global are organising Investing in Digitalisation in the Western Balkans Conference, that is to take place on Tuesday, on 28 March 2023 in ...


Reduction of data roaming prices between WB and EU to start as of 1 October 2023
06 Dec 2022

At the EU-Western Balkans Summit held in Tirana today, the telecommunications operators from the European Union (EU) and the Western Balkans signed a Roaming Declaration enabling the reduction of the roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans as of 1 October 2023. 


Bregu: People want and need to be connected in many ways and Roaming Free region is one of the ways enabling it
25 Jun 2021

Podgorica – “People want and need to be connected in many ways and Roaming Free region is one of the ways enabling it. Looking back three years ago, when the Western Balkan Leaders decided to lower the roaming prices within the region, no one had thought that we would have region ...


Bregu: Balkan Barometer reveals human uncertainty and vulnerability are main concerns followed by some goodish news on benefits of regional cooperation
24 Jun 2021

Tirana – “This, seventh in a row, Balkan Barometer shows human uncertainty and vulnerability are the main concerns followed by some goodish news which is the consciousness about the benefits of regional cooperation. For 49% of Western Balkan citizens, unemployment is the biggest ...


Bregu: Voice, concerns, hopes & expectations of the people from the region are core of the RCC work
17 Jun 2021

Antalya – Leaders of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) approved the RCC-developed strategy for socio-economic development of South East Europe (SEE) in the next decade – SEE2030 Strategy, at their Summit held in Antalya, Turkey today. 


Bregu: 77% of Western Balkans citizens agree that the relations in the region are better than a year ago
11 Mar 2021

Sarajevo/Tirana – “The months since our last meeting in October have been difficult with the onset of new Covid-19 waves and new variants of the virus turning things topsy-turvy with a downward spiralling. In terms of regional cooperation, the big good news was the success of the ...


Roaming free Western Balkans as of 1 July 2021 brings the region one step closer to the WB-EU roaming charges reduction
23 Feb 2021

Sarajevo – “The signing of the Western Balkans Regional Roaming Agreement in April 2019 was a historic accomplishment and one of the key deliverables of the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans, producing tangible benefits for citizens while testing our commitment and confidence ...


While EU and the world are advancing to fit to the Digital Age, we need to run twice as fast to close the discrepancies
02 Nov 2020

Tirana/Sarajevo – “At the last years' Digital Summit in Belgrade we witnessed a success story when the ministers of the Western Balkans (WB) six in charge of information and communication technologies signed the new Regional Roaming Agreement, paving a way for roaming free WB ...


We now pay between 83% and 96% less roaming charges in the entire Western Balkans, and as of July 2021 roaming costs will be 0
26 Oct 2020

Tirana/Sarajevo – The Third Western Balkans Digital Summit (WBDS) has been opened in Tirana today, continuing its legacy, which started at the WBDS Skopje in 2018 – the first ever WB DS that initiated digital policy dialogue on WB digital transformation at the highest prime ministers ...



02 Jul 2020

Sarajevo - Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is organising the first online Western Balkans’ Balkathon competition to trigger digital innovative and practical business solutions. The regional online Balkathon aims to help the Western Balkans citizens and businesses to recover from effects ...



01 Jul 2020

Sarajevo/Tirana – “On this date a year ago we started paying less money for our phone bills, as the Regional Roaming Agreement entered into force reducing roaming costs across the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia), as much ...



25 Jun 2020

Tirana/Sarajevo/Prishtina – The two meetings have been held today within the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) - the meeting of the SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the RCC Annual Meeting, which RCC co-organised with the outgoing Kosovo SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office ...



24 Jun 2020

Sarajevo – “The regional cooperation continues to grow in prominence with an overwhelming majority of citizens supportive of its role in improving the political, economic and security situation in their home economies - 77%, and 65% of them believes that what brings WB citizens ...



23 Jun 2020

Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will present 2020 edition of Balkan Barometer on Wednesday 24 June 2020. This annual public and business opinion survey of the RCC examines the perception and expectations on life and work, prevalent socio-economic and political trends & ...



10 Jun 2020

Sarajevo/Brussels – Good news for the region come from the Brussels today as Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) Steering Committee approved eight grant applications for technical assistance from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* and Serbia, at its session held online today. ...



01 Jun 2020

Sarajevo/Belgrade/Zurich – “Benefits of digital technologies are multi-fold. Not only they can generate greater benefits from macroeconomic perspective but could also ease procedures and make borders less visible, processes less heavy, supply of new services to customers simpler and businesses ...



26 May 2020

Sarajevo/Tirana/Geneva - “Still unpublished latest edition of the RCC’s annual public and business survey for the Wester Balkans -  Balkan Barometer 2020 shows that, as expected, internet was extensively used for communication purposes with the proliferation of social media (69%), ...



22 May 2020

Sarajevo/Belgrade – “All economic and social development agendas, crucial for the development of our region and its EU-accession journey have to be accompanied by the equal efforts of environment protection and climate change responses. Biodiversity, in that context, is high on ...



14 May 2020

Sarajevo – “For all its aggressiveness, the COVID-19 crisis also offers glimmers of hope. It has connected Western Balkans even more, this time in a fight against an invisible enemy. It has persuaded us that cooperation should be resilient. It has created a common awareness that ...



06 May 2020

Sarajevo/Tirana/Zagreb - Now, almost 4 years after we initiated the work on Regional Economic Area (REA) the region is ready to embark on the next phase of deepening regional economic cooperation assure the WB6 economies to have ownership first, and bringing the region closer to the EU internal ...



30 Apr 2020

Sarajevo – In an attempt to address high digital skills gap present in the Western Balkans and especially obvious in the current situation of economies’ lockdown when many jobs have moved from onsite to online, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) initiated and hosted the first meeting ...



23 Mar 2020

Sarajevo – On the initiative of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), representatives of the Governments from South East Europe, European Union (EU) and regional stakeholders are working on the establishment of the Green Corridor within the region and between the Western Balkans (WB) ...



20 Mar 2020

Tirana/Sarajevo – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, spoke last night at the Tirana based RTV Klan’s Opinion show, about the major distress in the region after the European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/402, which imposes ...



25 Dec 2019

Sarajevo – There have been many discrepancies and a lack of clear information on the role of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in the so called “Mini-Schengen” initiative meetings. Regional Cooperation Council is invited to “Mini-Schengen” meetings together with EU, ...



11 Dec 2019

Brussels - In the margins of the Western Balkan Sherpas meeting, which took place in Brussels today in the run-up to the EU-Western Balkans Summit in May 2020, the European Commission reinforced its support to regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. The signed contract for continued cooperation ...



02 Dec 2019

Brussels – “The region is at a different landscape. It is high time to address challenges and sensitivities with a clearer and ambitious vision. We are initiating the process of the new economic vision beyond 2020 in close consultation with all six Western Balkan (WB) economies and ...



05 Nov 2019

Istanbul – “The women unemployment in the Western Balkans is 60%. Analyses show a big mismatch in the labour market(s) between the demands and offered sets of skills and knowledge. Almost half of the students in the region enrol into the Humanities, Social Sciences and Business study ...



30 Oct 2019

Tirana – “Instead of having a focused discussion on Connectivity agenda and how much out of the 1 billion euro of the European Union’s (EU) grants from 2015 to 2020 was spent or how important connecting people and markets in the region is, etc. this October, this meeting included, the ...



17 Oct 2019

Sarajevo – “While awaiting the European Union’s Summit’s official decision on the opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia today, for us in the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and for the entire region as well, it is quite important to reiterate ...



08 Jul 2019

Sarajevo – „A year behind us was a dynamic one and we are prepared to continue just as dynamic in the next one. We, at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) are ready and keen to embark on any challenges ahead of us but we cannot do it without the full support of our regional and European ...



07 Jul 2019

Sarajevo - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is to present the 5th, 2019 edition of its public and businesses viewpoints survey – Balkan Barometer (BB) at the Annual meeting of the organisation that is taking place on 8 July 2019 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 



05 Jul 2019

  Poznan – “Two years after the Western Balkans’ (WB) Prime Ministers endorsed the Multi-annual Action Plan for the Regional Economic Area (MAP REA) in Trieste the region has not fully embraced the opportunities offered by the Regional Economic Area. Flows of goods, services, ...



04 Jul 2019

Poznan – “Two years since the endorsement of Multi-annual Action plan on Regional Economic Area (MAP REA) in Trieste and one year since London our region can show only a mixed track record at best. Western Balkans (WB) did not fully embrace Regional Economic Area (REA) and as a result ...



04 Jul 2019

Poznan – “There's no better way to stress the need for stepping up the regional cooperation than quoting the citizens and businesses of the Western Balkans (WB) who overwhelmingly, with 74% and 67% respectively, believe in regional cooperation. The recent success with dropping of roaming ...



01 Jul 2019

Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is happy to announce that as of today, roaming prices across the entire Western Balkans (WB) have dropped drastically. Citizens of the WB will be able to speak, surf, SMS much more and pay much less. 



27 May 2019

Istanbul – “Much needed sustainable transformation of the region into a knowledge-based economy with equal opportunities for all citizens is a comprehensive agenda. It combines innovation, research and development, education, employment and social inclusion policies. We cannot continue ...



13 May 2019

Brussels – “One month after the signing of the new Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA2) for the Western Balkans (WB) at the Digital Summit on 4 April 2019 in Belgrade, the focus is on steps needed to ensure its smooth, uniform and efficient implementation. WB citizens and all our partners ...



09 May 2019

Sarajevo – “Western Balkan economies are united by need and a sense of emergency and awareness that there is a clear reason why regions come together in the world. Divided we cannot stand, because we are small economies, each one with its own problems. But all together we could be an interesting ...



04 Apr 2019

Belgrade – “A deal is a destination! Today’s signature of the Roaming Free Agreement is a step that makes a difference in the region. Amid all scepticism let us say loudly: Europe delivers”, said Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) upon signing ...



01 Apr 2019

Sarajevo – The people of the Western Balkans (WB), businessman/woman, travellers, students, youngsters, everybody, are in unison when it comes to bringing down the roaming charges in the region – they are looking forward to it and see it as a great benefit to them personally and their businesses. ...



26 Mar 2019

Brussels – “Upcoming second WB Digital Summit in Belgrade, as well as the Poznan Summit are our chances to showcase that we can deliver together as a region,” said Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, at the meeting of the Multi-Annual Action Plan ...



21 Mar 2019

Sarajevo – Coordination Board of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) South East Europe’s growth Strategy (SEE 2020) has met in Sarajevo today, to reflect on the implementation results, identify potential action synergies for further cooperation as well as post-2020 regional priorities ...



20 Mar 2019

Tirana – The Western Balkan Six (WB6) Component Contact Points (CCPs) in charge for implementation and monitoring of the Multi-Annual Action Plan for Regional Economic Area (MAP REA) reflected on the results of MAP REA implementation during the period July-December 2018, at their third meeting, ...



19 Feb 2019

Belgrade – The preparations for the upcoming 2nd edition of the Western Balkans' Digital Summit entered its final stage. 



18 Feb 2019

Skopje – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu is in Skopje today, where she met with the EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel. 



08 Feb 2019

Brussels – Representatives of the ICT Ministries and Regulators from Western Balkans Six (WB6) economies agreed on the text and the next steps leading towards signing of the new Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA2), at the third negotiations organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) ...



01 Feb 2019

30 million EUR are earmarked for the investment projects in digital infrastructure (fixed broadband connectivity) for the Western Balkans, through the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF).



24 Jan 2019

Brussels – The second round of negotiations on the new Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA2) for the Western Balkans (WB), organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), is being held in Brussels today. 



13 Dec 2018

Brussels – Representatives of the economies from the Western Balkans (WB) gathered in Brussels today to discuss on the new Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA), at the meeting of the Western Balkans Roaming Policy organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC). 



27 Nov 2018

Limassol - Western Balkans’ Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) met in Limassol, Cyprus today, within International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Cyber Drill - ALERT (Applied Learning for Emergency Response Teams) for Europe Region that is taking place to from 26-30 November ...



21 Nov 2018

Skopje – Western Balkans ministers in charge of the environment called for further strengthening of synergies and regional cooperation for the implementation of the environment and climate change priorities in the region, in line with the EU acquis, as well as supported mainstreaming of environment, ...



20 Nov 2018

Skopje – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is organising the 3rd in row Ministerial Panel on Environment and Climate Action in the Western Balkans, which is to take place in Skopje tomorrow. The event is organized together with the host Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. 



09 Oct 2018

Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) hosted the 3rd meeting of Coordinators of Multi-Annual Action Plan (MAP) on Regional Economic Area (REA) in Western Balkan Six (WB6), discussing the implementation results, next milestones, the most pressing challenges and reiterating commitments, ...



11 Jul 2018

  The Secretary General of the regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, took part at the Western Balkans (WB) Summit on 10 July in London.



06 Jul 2018

Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) revealed results of 2018 edition of the Balkan Barometer (BB), an annual survey of citizens and business communities’ opinion on the situation in the region, in Brussels today. The main findings of the survey show that satisfaction of ...



05 Jul 2018

Brussels – Governing Board of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) South East Europe 2020 Strategy (SEE 2020) endorsed the 2018 Annual Report on Strategy’s implementation (ARI), at its fifth meeting held in Brussels today, in the eve of the presentation of the RCC’s Balkan barometer ...



04 Jul 2018

Vienna – Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanovic presented key results of the implementation of Multi-Annual Action Plan on Regional Economic Area (MAP REA) at the ministerial panel dedicated to this topic of the Economy Ministers’ Meeting of the ...



03 Jul 2018

Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is to present the implementation results of the region’s growth strategy, South East Europe 2020 (SEE2020) on 5 July 2018 in Brussels, and day after, on 6 July also in Brussels, the RCC will reveal the results of its 4th edition of the public ...



25 Jun 2018

Sofia – Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans (WB) was launched in Sofia today, at the Digital Assembly 2018, a key annual policy event organised by the European Commission Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council ...



12 Jun 2018

Prague - Coordination and harmonisation of spectrum policies in the Western Balkans (WB) was discussed at the regional meeting organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) that took place in Prague, Chez Republic today.



06 Jun 2018

Sarajevo – Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) published a Study on climate change in the Western Balkans, showing alarming increase of temperature over the whole territory, with observed temperature increase of 1.2ºC in the near future, destined to warm further by 1.7 – 4.0°C and ...



30 May 2018

Skopje - Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning hosted the 7th meeting of the Regional Working Group on Environment (RWG Env) in Skopje, today.  



18 May 2018

Podgorica - Monitoring Committee of the South East Europe 2020 (SEE 2020) Strategy met for the 6th time, under auspice of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in Podgorica today, to discuss and provide comments on the Strategy’s early draft Annual Implementation Report (ARI).



17 May 2018

Sofia – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, Goran Svilanovic, took part at the EU-Western Balkans Summit hosted by the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, in Sofia today. The Summit is dedicated to strengthen links between the EU and the Western Balkans in ...



19 Apr 2018

Skopje – The first ever, two-day Western Balkans Digital Summit finished in Skopje today. It brought together close to 800 participants, 50 companies and more than 50 speakers, including Prime Ministers and Ministers responsible for digital agenda from the Western Balkans (WB), EU Berlin ...



18 Apr 2018

Skopje – The first ever Western Balkans Digital Summit, bringing together Prime Ministers and Ministers responsible for digital agenda from the Western Balkans (WB), EU Berlin Process participants, European Commission (EC), Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), representatives of IT industries ...



05 Apr 2018

Brussels - Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) together with the European Commission (EC) brought together the representatives from the Western Balkans economies’ line ministries and regulatory authorities, relevant experts from EC’s Directorate‑General for Communications Networks, Content ...



03 Apr 2018

Skopje – The first Western Balkans Digital Summit is to take place on 18-19 April in Skopje, bringing together Heads of Governments from the Western Balkans (WB), Ministers responsible for digital agenda from WB and European Union (EU) member states participating in the Berlin Process, European ...



13 Mar 2018

Brussels – Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is hosting the 4th Annual Meeting of Donor Coordination for the Western Balkans, in Brussels today.



12 Mar 2018

Brussels – Representatives of the South East Europe’s (SEE) economies participating in implementation SEE 2020 Strategy endorsed the Programming Document for the period 2018-2020, at the 6th Meeting of the SEE 2020 Programming Committee held in Brussels, under auspices of the Regional ...



30 Jan 2018

Trieste – The second meeting of the Coordinators for the RCC’s Multi Action Plan (MAP) for a Regional Economic Area (REA) in the Western Balkans six (WB6) took place in Trieste today. The meeting provided an overview on the key developments in MAP implementation in each of the WB6 economies ...



20 Dec 2017

Berlin - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in cooperation with the European Commission and German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy continued with preparations of the Western Balkans (WB) Digital Summit 2018 at the two-day meeting held in Berlin, Germany on 19-20 December ...



18 Dec 2017

Brussels – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, took part at the meeting of the Berlin process’ Sherpas, organized by the European Commission, in Brussels today. The meeting focused on each of the Western Balkans (WB) economies’ reform ...



08 Dec 2017

Brussels - The first regional meeting on Digital Integration, in line with the Regional Cooperation Council's (RCC) activities on the implementation of the Multi Annual Action Plan (MAP) for a Regional Economic Area (REA), was held in Brussels on 7-8 December 2017. 



21 Nov 2017

Chisinau – Three-day cyber drill - Joint ALERT (Applied Learning for Emergency Response Teams) for Europe and CIS Regions, hosted by Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure of Moldova, has started in Moldovan capital today.



17 Nov 2017

Bonn – Western Balkans authorities in charge of the environmental and climate change gathered at high-level panel in Bonn, Germany today, voicing strong commitment to joint regional action in responding to environmental and climate challenges. The event was organised by the Regional Cooperation ...



31 Oct 2017

Brussels - Following the Trieste Western Balkans (WB) Summit and the endorsement of the RCC’s Multi Action Plan (MAP) for a Regional Economic Area (REA) in the WB6, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Western Balkans Chamber Investment Forum (CIF), organized the first Meeting of ...



17 Oct 2017

Sarajevo – Implementation of the Multi-Annual Action Plan (MAP) for the Regional Economic Area (REA), endorsed at the Western Balkans Summit in Trieste this year, commenced today in the area of digital integration. 



06 Oct 2017

Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is to present its 3rd edition of the public and business opinion survey – Balkan Barometer 2017 in Brussels, Belgium, on 9 October 2017.



25 Jul 2017

Jahorina - 1st regional meeting on development of system for energy management in public sector, hosted by Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), took place on Jahorina today.



12 Jul 2017

Trieste - The leaders of Western Balkans Six (WB6) endorsed the Multi-annual Action Plan on a Regional Economic Area in the Western Balkans (MAP), at the summit in Trieste today. The MAP has been created to enable unobstructed flow of goods, services, capital and highly skilled ...



28 Jun 2017

Dubrovnik – Governing Board of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) SEE 2020 Strategy (SEE 2020) endorsed the Annual Report on Strategy’s implementation (ARI). The fourth Meeting of the SEE 2020 Governing Board was held in Dubrovnik today, in the eve of the RCC’s Annual meeting.



20 Jun 2017

Belgrade – Regional Group on Environment (RWG Env) met for the fifth time in Belgrade today to discuss current environmental challenges and actions forward.



11 May 2017

Sarajevo – Representatives of the Western Balkan (WB) six economies coming from ministries in charge of labour, education, trade, investments, digital agenda, foreign affairs as well as representatives of prime ministers gathered in Sarajevo today to identify joint economic integration ...



26 Apr 2017

Vilnius – “Western Balkans is not to be left out from the Pan-European digital infrastructure map. However, it must develop future-proof broadband policies and targets and accelerate high-speed broadband roll-out”, said Gazmend Turdiu, Deputy Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation ...



03 Mar 2017

Pristina/Sarajevo – Trans-European networks policy and connectivity agenda were the focus of discussion of members of parliaments from the enlargement aspirant economies, South-East Europe Cooperation Process Parliamentary Assembly (SEECP PA) and the European Parliament (EP) at inter-parliamentary conference ...



25 Nov 2016

Skopje/Sarajevo – The second regional meeting on Broadband Infrastructure Development, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat took place in Skopje today. The participants of the meeting were acquainted with the EU's newest regulatory framework for broadband ...



18 Oct 2016

Sarajevo/Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat presented the initial insights of the draft Regional Roaming Study to the governments’ and communication regulatory agencies’ representatives from the Western Balkans, in Brussels today.



27 Sep 2016

“Further to our long-standing support for regional cooperation in the ICT sphere as part of the South East Europe (SEE) 2020 Strategy, our efforts focus on delivering concrete contributions on two regional initiatives: on roaming and broadband. Roaming is the area where our economies ...


SEE 2020 Strategy implementation shows a mixed bag of results in the past year
30 May 2016

Pravets – The Governing Board of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) South East Europe 2020 (SEE 2020) Strategy heard the Annual Report on the Strategy’s implementation (ARI) at its third meeting held in Pravets (Bulgaria) today. 


Climate change and environment – Crucial issues for SEE
01 Apr 2016

Sarajevo/Podgorica - The First High Level Ministerial Panel on Responding to Climate and Environmental Challenges in South East Europe (SEE) took place today in Podgorica. The meeting was opened by the Montenegrin Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Branimir Gvozdenovic; the ...


Climate change and environment issues in focus on Friday in Podgorica
30 Mar 2016

Sarajevo/Podgorica - The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat are co-organising the First High Level Ministerial Panel on Responding to Climate and Environmental Challenges in South East Europe (SEE) this Friday, ...



01 Mar 2016

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) jointly hosted the kick-off meeting of the Balkans Bioenergy Task Force (BBTF). The main goal of the BBTF is to provide a permanent regional dialogue and an advocacy platform for ...



19 Feb 2016

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will help agree on future roaming policy among the telecommunications regulators in Western Balkans. This was concluded in Skopje today at the first meeting of Open Communications Platform at the level of line ministries and regulatory bodies for electronic ...


More work on biodiversity protection a regional “must do”
08 Feb 2016

Sarajevo, February 8th 2016 – Even though the governments of South-East Europe developed an initial political and legal framework for the conservation of biodiversity, the operational implementation is lagging behind and positive results from conservation efforts are limited. In a nutshell, ...


Protecting biodiversity on a regional level is a must
04 Feb 2016

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) launched its regional project for Biodiversity today in Belgrade with a two day conference which aims to explore the synergies between current regional biodiveristy conservation initiatives, create targeted partnerships to achieve ...


Towards a Single Information Space
30 Sep 2015

South-East European Ministers responsible for Information Technologies who gathered at the Budva Conference today expressed their strong common interest in participating in the creation of a single information space. 


Governing Board of RCC’s SEE2020 Strategy Meets in Tirana
21 May 2015

TIRANA/SARAJEVO – The South East Europe 2020 Strategy (SEE 2020) Governing Board held its second meeting in Tirana today. The SEE 2020 Strategy is the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) primary instrument for boosting growth in the region, creating jobs and assisting the EU accession ...



19 May 2015

Podgorica/Sarajevo, 18 May 2015 - The inaugural meeting of the  Regional Working Group on Environment was held in Podgorica last week (May 14th ) under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council.



22 May 2014

Conference titled “Air Transport as a Driver for Development and Economic Prosperity in the South East Europe” was held at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in Sarajevo today.


Sarajevo roundtable agrees to intensify regional cooperation on integrated water resources management in South East Europe
08 Nov 2013

SARAJEVO – Closer regional cooperation of water, energy and environmental sectors on the sustainable use of waters; involvement of private sector in water infrastructure development; and introduction of a regional legal and coordination instrument to ensure achievement of these goals, are ...


Roundtable on water and energy nexus in transboundary basins in South East Europe to open in Sarajevo tomorrow, hosted by RCC
05 Nov 2013

SARAJEVO – A three-day international roundtable on water and energy nexus in transboundary basins in South East Europe (SEE) will open in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, tomorrow, 6 November.    


2nd railway congress ends in Sarajevo, agrees to work on common railway system in South East Europe
27 Sep 2013

SARAJEVO – A two-day Congress on Railways in South East Europe ended in Sarajevo today, with over 250 participants from eleven countries agreeing to work on a common railway system in the region.


10 aviation organizations to sign letter of intent on joint service provision in South East Europe, under RCC auspices
26 Apr 2013

SARAJEVO – Representatives of 10 national aviation authorities and air navigation service providers will sign a Letter of Intent on the Joint Service Provision Area Initiative in South East Europe, in Sarajevo, on 29 April, under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).


New work programme of South East Europe Investment Committee to focus on SEE 2020 growth strategy
19 Mar 2013

SARAJEVO - The South East Europe Investment Committee (SEEIC) of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) adopted an updated work programme at its meeting in Sarajevo today, focused on development of the South East Europe 2020 regional growth strategy.


South East Europe 2020 growth strategy in focus of regional meeting, to be held in Sarajevo tomorrow, under RCC auspices
18 Mar 2013

SARAJEVO – Development of the South East Europe (SEE) 2020 regional growth strategy and its implementation will be the main topics of the 12th South East Europe Investment Committee (SEEIC) Meeting, which will be held in Sarajevo tomorrow.


Seven German ambassadors from Western Balkans and foreign ministry discuss regional issues, express support to RCC work
11 Mar 2013

SARAJEVO - Ambassadors of Germany in Belgrade, Podgorica, Prishtina, Sarajevo, Skopje and Tirana, accompanied by colleagues from the foreign ministry, discussed political situation in Western Balkans and the region’s European perspective during a visit to the Regional Cooperation Council ...


3rd road congress wraps up in Sarajevo, agrees ways to develop road infrastructure in South East Europe
21 Sep 2012

SARAJEVO – A two-day Road Congress in South East Europe ended in Sarajevo today, with over 400 participants from ten countries agreeing to establish a professional regional forum for the development of the road sector.


RCC, EC organized meeting proposes extension of Single European Sky Programme in South East Europe beyond 2012
12 Sep 2012

OHRID/SARAJEVO – The third Governing Body meeting of the Implementation of Single European Sky (ISIS) Programme in South East Europe ended in Ohrid today, approving a progress report and proposing ISIS continuation beyond 2012.


Conference on urban planning in South East Europe takes place in Sarajevo today, under RCC auspices
24 Oct 2011

SARAJEVO – Regulation of informal settlements was the topic of a conference on urban planning in South East Europe, which took place today at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.


RCC, EC organize second meeting on implementation of Single European Sky in South East Europe
07 Sep 2011

SOLIN/SARAJEVO – The second conference of the Governing Body for the Implementation of Single European Sky in South East Europe (ISIS Programme) concluded today in Solin, Croatia, with a recommendation that competent ministers extend ISIS Programme to a third phase after 2012.


Serbian President Tadic gives full support to RCC activities in promoting regional cooperation in South East Europe
06 Jul 2011

SARAJEVO – President of the Republic of Serbia, Boris Tadic, paid a visit today to the Secretariat of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in Sarajevo, where he expressed full support to the work of the organization during his meeting with RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic.


Heads of State and Government of South East Europe praise work of Regional Cooperation Council
30 Jun 2011

BUDVA/SARAJEVO – The Heads of State and Government of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) praised today in Budva the successful implementation of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Strategy and Work Programme 2011-2013, endorsing the Annual Report of its Secretary General.


South East European foreign ministers voice support to RCC activities, endorse its Annual Report
29 Jun 2011

BUDVA/SARAJEVO – Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) countries commended today the work of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and its Secretary General at a meeting in Budva, Montenegro.


Regional cooperation in South East Europe encouraging, says RCC Secretary General at the organization’s Annual Meeting
28 Jun 2011

BUDVA/SARAJEVO – “Regional cooperation in South East Europe has exhibited encouraging signs over the past year“ said Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), while opening the organization's third Annual Meeting in the Montenegrin town of Becici near ...


RCC to host fundraising event for International Sava River Basin Commission projects
16 May 2011

SARAJEVO – A roundtable on fundraising for projects of the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC) will be held at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in Sarajevo, tomorrow, 17 May.


Conference on road infrastructure safety in South East Europe to open in Sarajevo tomorrow
19 Apr 2011

SARAJEVO – The second Conference on Road Infrastructure Safety Management in South East Europe, aimed at halving the number of traffic accidents in the region by 2020, will open in Sarajevo tomorrow.


Western Balkans and Europe 2020 conference agrees RCC best suited to help align regional programmes with Europe 2020
31 Mar 2011

BRUSSELS/SARAJEVO – Over 100 participants of a Western Balkans and Europe 2020 – Towards Convergence and Growth conference of regional initiatives and international donors concluded in Brussels today that the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is the institution most apt to help align regional ...


RCC-organized conference on Western Balkans and Europe 2020 to discuss growth in the region, gather close to 50 institutions and donors
24 Mar 2011

SARAJEVO/BRUSSELS – A Western Balkans and Europe 2020 – Towards Convergence and Growth coordination meeting of regional initiatives and interested donor institutions will take place in Brussels, on 30-31 March 2011. The event will be organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat.


Prospects for regional cooperation in South East Europe in 2011 and beyond focus of the 3rd RCC anniversary celebration
04 Mar 2011

SARAJEVO – A panel discussion South East Europe in 2011 and Beyond: Sharing the Same Vision will be held in Sarajevo, on Monday, 7 March, to mark the third anniversary of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).


Stronger national airspace authorities in South East Europe focus of a Sarajevo workshop, organized by RCC and Belgian EU Presidency
22 Nov 2010

SARAJEVO – A three-day workshop on establishment and empowerment of airspace National Supervisory Authorities (NSA), will open tomorrow at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.


Energy Community, RCC to host workshop on reducing emissions in the energy sector in South East Europe
24 Oct 2010

SARAJEVO – A two-day workshop on reducing pollutions from the power industry in South East Europe will commence in Sarajevo tomorrow, co-organized by the Secretariats of the Energy Community (EnC) and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).


South-East and Eastern European initiative on sustainable energy development launched in Trieste today
08 Oct 2010

TRIESTE/SARAJEVO – A regional initiative on sustainable energy development was launched today in Trieste, Italy, at its first task force meeting. The meeting was organized jointly by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat and the Executive Secretariat of the Central European Initiative ...


RCC Secretary General to outline the organization’s new three-year strategy at a press conference in Sarajevo tomorrow
15 Sep 2010

SARAJEVO – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, will present the organization’s new strategy for 2011-2013, and outline the main activities scheduled for this autumn, at a press conference in Sarajevo, tomorrow, 16 September.



25 Jun 2010

Implementation of the Energy Community (EnC) Treaty was the main topic of a workshop on Energy Community and Regional Sustainability, which took place in Tirana today. The event was co-organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat and the Albanian national assembly, with support ...


Regional Cooperation Council launches redesigned website and new publication, a monthly newsletter
14 Apr 2010

SARAJEVO – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat launched today a redesigned version of the organization’s website and a new publication, the monthly e-newsletter.


RCC Board starts discussing the organization's strategy for the next three years
04 Mar 2010

SARAJEVO – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board discussed today the first draft of the new, three-year Strategic Work Programme of the organization for the period 2011-2013.


International conference on overcoming economic crisis in Western Balkans to mark 2nd RCC anniversary
23 Feb 2010

SARAJEVO – A two-day regional conference “Western Balkans in 2020 – Overcoming the Economic Crisis and Developing Competitive Economies” will open in Sarajevo tomorrow. The event, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat, will also mark the 2nd anniversary of ...


RCC-organized workshop on air transport in South East Europe to take place in Sarajevo
10 Feb 2010

SARAJEVO – A workshop on importance of air transport for the economic and social development of South East Europe will open in Sarajevo tomorrow, 11 February, under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat.



22 Dec 2009

A two-day initial meeting of the Regional Expert Network on Energy in South East Europe (SEE), which ended today at the RCC Secretariat in Sarajevo, discussed the energy policies in the region and its future activities, and produced appropriate documents in terms of its work plan and agenda.


Workshop on energy security for Bosnia and Herzegovina lawmakers to take place in Sarajevo tomorrow
14 Dec 2009

SARAJEVO – The workshop “Energy Community and Regional Security“, will be held in Sarajevo tomorrow, focusing on the implementation of Energy Community (EnC) Treaty and related market developments in South East Europe. The event is co-organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) ...


RCC Board discusses future strategic focuses of organization's activities and supports efforts of its Secretariat in Sarajevo
03 Dec 2009

SARAJEVO – The 29 members of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board discussed today in Sarajevo further strategic prioritization of activities of the organization and gave full support to its Secretariat in these efforts.


South East European Public-Private Partnership Network to be launched in Sarajevo next week
27 Nov 2009

SARAJEVO – The South East European Public-Private Partnership (SEE PPP) Network will be launched in Sarajevo on Monday, 30 November, under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat.


First meeting of prominent experts from South East Europe on regional response to economic crisis takes place in Sarajevo under RCC auspices
17 Sep 2009

SARAJEVO – A panel of high-level experts from South East Europe (SEE) met in Sarajevo today to stimulate in depth discussion on regional response to global economic crisis. The first such meeting in the region was held under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat.


RCC Board discusses situation in South East Europe and praises work of the organization’s Secretariat in Sarajevo
15 Sep 2009

SARAJEVO – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, presented his latest quarterly report on the activities of the RCC Secretariat to the 29 members of the organization's Board, who gathered in Sarajevo today. The report covers the period between 9 May ...



08 Jun 2009

A workshop “Energy Community and Regional Security”, co-organized by the Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat, with support of the Energy Community (EC) Secretariat, was held in Belgrade today.


Regional meeting on protection of endangered habitats and species in South East Europe to take place in Sarajevo
28 May 2009

SARAJEVO – A regional meeting on NATURA 2000 (protection of sites for endangered habitats and species) will be held in Sarajevo tomorrow. The event is organized by the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), under the EU-funded Regional Environmental Reconstruction ...


Shared water resources management important component of stability in South East Europe, agrees RCC-hosted international conference
20 May 2009

SARAJEVO – A three-day International Workshop on Integrated Transboundary Water Resources Management in South Eastern Europe (SEE) concluded in Sarajevo today that cooperation on shared water resources management is a crucial component of stability and prosperity in SEE. The event was co-organized ...


International workshop on management of water resources in South East Europe to start in Sarajevo tomorrow
17 May 2009

SARAJEVO – A three-day international workshop on management of transboundary water resources in South East Europe (SEE), co-organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will open in Sarajevo tomorrow, 18 May.


Environmental ministers launch plan for adapting to climate change in Southeast Europe
14 Nov 2008

SARAJEVO – Five ministers launched the Southeast European (SEE) Climate Change Framework Action Plan for Adaptation at a conference held in Sarajevo today, thus making a concrete commitment to regional cooperation in combating climate change.


RCC to host first ministerial conference on combating climate change in Southeast Europe
13 Nov 2008

SARAJEVO – The Secretariat of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will host the first Ministerial Conference on Combating Climate Change in Southeast Europe (SEE), in Sarajevo tomorrow.


Southeast Europe should make best use of its potential for energy transport routes, says RCC Secretary General in Prague
24 Oct 2008

PRAGUE/SARAJEVO – The Southeast European governments should design transnational projects in energy sector to enhance regional energy infrastructure links and make the best use of geo-economic potential for transport routes from energy sources through Southeast Europe to Western Europe, said ...


RCC Secretary General takes part in ministerial meeting on implementation of Energy Community Treaty for SEE
27 Jun 2008

BRUSSELS/SARAJEVO – Implementation of the Treaty Establishing the Energy Community for South Eastern Europe was the topic of the meeting of the EC Ministerial Council held in Brussels today.