Southeast European Cooperative Research Articles

Regional cooperation formats and the issue of military security of post-conflict states. Case study of the South-East European Cooperation Process

The South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) was launched in 1996, however, its functioning is an ongoing research phenomenon. This regional cooperation format includes all 13 states of South-East Europe. It was established as a forum of political dialogue and consultation, where regional issues could be addressed at the highest level. One of the objectives of the SEECP was security cooperation. The aim of this article is to analyse the role of the SEECP in maintaining security in the region of the Western Balkans. This article argues that since 1996, the SEECP has been evolving and is becoming an important format of regional cooperation in South East Europe, however, it plays a limited role in maintaining the military security of the post-conflict states of the Western Balkans. From the point of view of the members of the SEECP, military security and peace could be obtained through the integration of the participants of the SEECP, in particular those located in the Western Balkans, with the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The article also shows that establishing the SEECP did not eliminate tensions and riots based on ethnicity in some states of the Western Balkans and so, the SEECP still has a lot to do in the matters of reconciliation and good-neighbourliness. The article is based on primary and secondary source analysis, case study method comparative analysis, and the historical method.

A review of the Best Practice in Radiation Oncology project from 2008 to 2018.

The European Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)/International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Best Practice in Radiation Oncology-a project to train RTT trainers has reached its ten year anniversary and will commence its fifth iteration in 2018. This project commenced as a novel way to address the issue of limited RTT education throughout Europe. In many countries the profession of RTT is not officially recognised and there is no formal education programme. RTT education is frequently a very short component of a broader programme such as diagnostic imaging, nursing or a technical discipline. To date, fifty-nine short courses have been delivered, two RTT-specific National societies have been developed, a South East European cooperation with biannual conferences has evolved and significant progress has been made on improving the radiotherapy-specific content of national educational programmes, which will continue with future iterations of this project.

The South-East European Cooperation Process and Its New Parliamentary Assembly: Regional Dialogue in Action

This article analyses the contribution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East European Cooperation Process (seecp) to regional dialogue among parliamentarians. First, it examines the transformation of the seecp Parliamentary Dimension into a Parliamentary Assembly (seecp pa). Second, the article analyses two case studies: the participation of Kosovo in the seecp pa; and the establishment of a Secretariat for the seecp pa. These two case studies are selected because they have given rise to intensive political dialogue, thus providing a basis for the conduct of parliamentary diplomacy. They demonstrate the potential contribution of the seecp Parliamentary Dimension to conflict resolution, while acknowledging the dependence of the Parliamentary Assembly on the political processes handled through intergovernmental diplomacy. The article shows the limited, although positive, impact of the institutionalisation of this Parliamentary Assembly on parliamentary relations in South-East Europe.

10 Years of Southeast European Cooperative Initiative: Lessons Learned

10 Years of Southeast European Cooperative Initiative: Lessons Learned

An Assessment of Operation Safe Place

In April 2002, the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) Regional Centre for Combating Trans-border Crime established a sub-group within its Anti-Terrorism Task Force to “prevent, detect, trace, investigate, and suppress illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons (SALW) by establishing direct, sustainable, and rapid channels of information exchange.” This sub-group consists of a network of police and customs officers from South Eastern Europe (SEE), who share intelligence on illicit SALW seizures. Saferworld, an independent NGO based in the U.K. that works to prevent armed violence around the world, has highlighted the work of the SECI Centre’s SALW Task Force as an example of good practice in regional cooperation for combating trafficking in SALW. As the lead state in this initiative, Albania proposed setting up an international operational intelligence information exchange on seizures of illicit small arms in 2002, and nominated the SECI Centre as an operational coordination unit. This proposal matured into the SALW seizure information exchange, known as Operation Ploughshares, which was launched in November 2002 and ran for six months. The primary objective of the information exchange was the collection of data that could be analyzed to give an account of the scope and dynamics of illicit SALW trafficking in the region. The following five SECI states actively participated in Operation Ploughshares: Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia/FYROM, Moldova, and Turkey. According to an analysis report on Operation Ploughshares, written by the U.K.’s National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), data on trafficking of 493 small arms, just under twenty thousand rounds of ammunition, more than fifty mines, and several kilograms of explosives were exchanged during the operation. However, the report concluded that the information was “too scant to allow meaningful analysis,” and recommended that future information exchange exercises should endeavor to include information on: • Seizure localities

Seizing the initiative: the importance of regional cooperation in Southeast Europe and the prominent role of the Southeast European cooperation process

To lock in progress over the last three years, Southeast Europe needs to take steps now to develop effective cross-border cooperation at both the practical and political levels. It also needs to demonstrate that it can speak out on major issues of concern with a single, coordinated voice. Not only does meaningful regional cooperation build local confidence and reflect full regional buy-in on tough, challenging economic and political issues, it also helps form crucial regional networks in political, diplomatic and specialist areas. This in turn leads crucially to standard setting at the regional level, which can significantly enhance the durability of national commitments. The Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) is starting to take on this role in important areas. It has progressively become more focused in its goals and objectives. It now needs to begin to exert the leadership necessary to craft workable solutions to persistent regional challenges. This means developing an indigenous capacity to follow through on and implement commitments made by the region's political leadership at summits and ministerial meetings.

Developing South East European Cooperative Crisis Management Capacity

Now, with the launch of the Multinational Peace Force South-East Europe (SEE), the Stability Pact and the encouraging developments in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, for the first time in history all SEE countries demonstrated their willingness to cooperate in conflict prevention and crisis management and to take responsibility for security and stability in their own home. However, given cultural diversity, resource constraints, and lack of market experience in some of the countries, the challenge is in their ability to do so.

The Southeast Europe Stability Pact

The 1999 Southeast Europe Stability Pact aims at democratic and economic reforms and at the restructuring of existing agreements and relationships ; provisions concerning domestic security are examined. Objectives related to justice and domestic security include fighting corruption, managing immigration and asylum, and training police. Measures undertaken under the Southeast European Cooperation Initiative to facilitate regional cooperation against international crime are evaluated. These multilateral efforts have not succeeded. A bilateral approach shows more promise collaborative achievements between Italy and Albania illustrate both the potential and persisting challenges of bilateral strategies.

Southeastern Europe in the Post-Milosevic Era: The Need to Lower the Barriers

Richard Schifter has, among other roles, served as special advisor to the United States secretary of state, in which capacity he initiated the concept of and helped organize the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative(SECI).