The positive developments have taken place in the co-operation processes initiated within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe over the years. The South-Eastern Europe countries began the new phase of “regional ownership and responsibility” for regional cooperation. The Stability Pact has been transformed into the Regional Co-operation Council (RCC), in order to reflect the increased maturity of the region. This new regionally owned cooperation framework, the RCC, was officially launched at the joint session of the final meeting of the Stability Pact Regional Table and inaugural meeting of the Regional Co-operation Council, in Sofia, on 27 February 2008. The Joint Declaration on the Establishment of the RCC was adopted and the RCC first Annual meeting took place on 28 February 2008, with the support from South Eastern European countries, donor countries and the European Commission. The main task of RCC is to be a facilitator of regional co-operation and support the European and Euro-Atlantic integration. With Secretariat located in Sarajevo, Co-operation Council focus its activities on six areas which the countries of the region have already identified as those where regional co-operation will be beneficial to all: Economic and social development; Infrastructure; Justice and Home Affairs; Security Co-operation and Building Human Capital (BHC) with Parliamentary Co-operation being an overarching theme that is linked with each of the other areas.

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