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Bregu: When global institutions and frameworks are stretched thin, regional bodies can step in to provide stability, continuity, and direction
21 Sep 2023
New York - "The Western Balkans has made significant progress in the last two decades, but the Western Balkans is not where its inhabitants or outside peacemakers hoped we would be twenty-plus years after the guns went largely quiet. Unfortunately, friction amongst economies persists, ...
Bregu: 49% of Western Balkan citizens are concerned the climate change is affecting their health
05 Jul 2023
Budapest - "According to our recent Balkan Barometer, 49% of the citizens of the WB are concerned that climate change is affecting their health. Moreover, Pollution of Air (57%), Water (44%), and Soil (39%) are listed as the greatest environmental concerns in communities. All Western Balkan ...
Bregu: This year marks one of the most impactful ones for the Western Balkans when it comes to regional cooperation
04 Jun 2023
Budva - "This year marks one of the most impactful ones for the Western Balkans, marking the long-awaited turning point towards commitments taken by the economies of the region, through the Common Regional Market (CRM). With integrity, collegiality and competence - three words of tradition ...
Bregu: Region should remain steadfast on sustainable, green transition and decarbonisation path
30 Mar 2023
“The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans is a dynamic and evolving initiative that, like a living organism, requires collective efforts of both the governmental and non-governmental sectors to nurture, grow and shape towards a sustainable plan for the future. In a developing region, ...
Bregu: Keeping the Green Agenda implementation torch lit is difficult, but there are no U-turns in a climate change-vulnerable region like ours
24 Oct 2022
Berlin/Sarajevo – “Keeping the torch lit on the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans that was developed in times of stability was a hellishly difficult task in these times of adversity. It is clearly overshadowed by the impact of the war and the pan-European ...
RCC to award six best innovative solutions from the Western Balkans
26 Jun 2022
Sarajevo/Tirana – The winners of the first Butterfly Innovation Award competition the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) launched in April this year are to be presented on Monday, 27 June 2022 in Tirana, Albania, on the side-lines of the Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Steering ...
Bregu: Support of Western Balkan citizens to regional cooperation remains stable at 76%
24 Jun 2022
Brussels – “While many things change, our public and business perceptions surveys remain a truthful source of sentiments across the region. At times, the results surprise us, sometimes they serve as a wake-up call, while on other occasions they confirm that our efforts are not in ...
Champion of Regional Cooperation to round off 14th RCC Annual Meeting
08 Jun 2022
Sarajevo/Thessaloniki – Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is to hold its 14th Annual Meeting on Thursday, 9 June in Thessaloniki. RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu will present the RCC Annual Report and major accomplishments and results of the organisation in the past year while putting ...
Bregu: European perspective important for socio-economic progress, but also for security and stability
16 Mar 2022
Sarajevo/Tirana – “The times we are living in are not glamorous, on the contrary these are dark moments. We are all heartened and deeply saddened by the unjust war Ukrainian people are going through. The economic impact of the war stretches beyond Ukraine's borders. Concern ...
Bregu: It is crunch time to deliver on reducing roaming costs between the EU and Western Balkans
06 Oct 2021
Brdo pri Kranju/Sarajevo – “As the agendas of regional cooperation build in intensity and challenges get bigger, we witness daily that the process of cooperation among Western Balkan Six cannot afford a stalemate,” said Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, ...
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 ...
RCC to Present Balkan Barometer 2021 - Public and Business Viewpoints on Situation in our Region
22 Jun 2021
Tirana – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is to present the 2021 edition of Balkan Barometer on Thursday, 24 June 2021, starting at 10:00, in Tirana. This is the 7th edition of annual public and business opinion survey commissioned by the RCC which examines Western Balkan citizens ...
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: We must change in order to provide healthier environment, cleaner air, to preserve fresh and drinking water, to survive
18 Dec 2020
Sarajevo/Tirana - "The overwhelming 74% of Western Balkans (WB) citizens see pollution as a problem, which is not surprising, considering that this region holds the most polluted cities in the world, because 70% of our electricity is produced by burning coal. Not only this, 16 thermal ...
Transformation will not happen overnight but setting bold goals will accelerate the change if we can work together
10 Nov 2020
Sofia - A new phase of regional economic integration started today with the Western Balkans Six leaders endorsing the Common Regional Market Action Plan, and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, both facilitated by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), at the Berlin Process Summit held ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
30 Sep 2013
The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat and the German Organization Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) signed in Sarajevo today a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in foreign trade promotion, energy efficiency, legal reform and modernisation ...
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 ...
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.