The Berlin Process - 2015

Feb 24, Tirana

South East Cooperation Process meeting

• Ministers of Foreign Affairs of SEECP members
• Latvian EU Presidency
• RCC

• RCC invited to prepare a regional cooperation platform to fight terrorism

Mar 20, Vienna

Conference “Tackling Jihadism Together – Shaping, Preventing, Reacting”

• Austria, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior
• EC, OSCE, RCC, Europol 

• Ministers will enhance cooperation  in fighting extremism and international terrorism

Mar 25, Pristina

Conference “Improved Connectivity and a Strong Core Network”

• WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Infrastructure
• DG NEAR Commissioner

• Draft Core Network Agreement announced
• Technical standards must be met by 2030 to have the Core Network completed

Apr 21, Brussels

Summit “Building Networks, Connecting People”

• WB6 Prime Ministers
• DG NEAR Commissioner DG MOVE Commissioner RCC

• Core transport network agreed upon
• National Investment Committees must establish Single Project Pipeline of priority investments

Apr 23, Brdo pri Kranju

Brdo-Brijuni Process meeting

• Italy, France, Slovenia and WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs
• State Secretary of Federal Foreign Office of Germany
• DG NEAR Commissioner

• Programmes of the Positive Agenda for Youth to made more effective

May 6, Brussels

Regional cooperation day in Brussels

• WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs
• DG NEAR Commissioner 
• RCC

• Furthering regional cooperation was deemed priority

May 25-26, Belgrade

CSO preparatory meeting for the Vienna Summit

• Regional civil society organisations and think tanks

• Recommendations for the Vienna Summit prepared (regional cooperation, creation of jobs and prosperity, freedom of expression)

Jun 12, Sarajevo

Regional BIRN conference

• Regional media professionals and experts

• Recommendations for the Vienna Summit prepared (legal protection of journalists, state influence, rules on ownership and financing of outlets, hate speech)

Jun 22, Riga

TEN-T Days 2015

• WB6 Ministers of Transport 
• DG NEAR Commissioner
• Energy Security Community

• The Core network, the Corridors and the mandate of the Corridor coordinat

Jul 8, Vienna

Conference “Connecting Systems, connecting Markets”

• WB6 Ministers of Energy 
• DG NEAR Commissioner
• Director of Energy Security Community

• Shortlist of investment projects agreed upon, energy soft measures to be completed, regional power market initiative to be launched, NICs to be established

Jul 15-17, Haale and Berlin

Joint Science Conference

• National Academies and Rector’ Conferences of WB6, Austria, Germany, Italy and Slovenia

• 3% of GDP for higher education and science should be allocated, research foundation should be established

Participants:

• WB6: Presidents and Prime Ministers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy
• EU: EC President and Vice-President, DG NEAR Commissioner, HR of the EU Foreign Policy and Security Affairs
• Austria, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia: Prime Ministers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy
• France: Secretary of State for European Affairs, Special Envoy of Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Italy: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Director General of the Ministry of Economy International financial institutions

Topics:

• Bilateral issues
• Migration and fight against terrorism Economic prosperity
• Connectivity agenda 
• Youth
• Education and science

Commitments:

• Declaration on Regional Cooperation and Solution of Bilateral Disputes signed Declaration on Establishment of RYCO signed
• Annual Economic Reform Programmes (ERPs) will be prepared
• 6 transport and 4 energy infrastructure investment projects agreed upon
• The list of “soft measures” to be implemented before the Paris Summit was agreed upon Establishment of a regional energy market agreed upon
• 1 billion euros for connectivity projects will be made available from IPA II 
• Obstacles to the Transport Community Treaty to be overcome

Highlight:

• Recommendations on enhancing regional cooperation, media freedom, job creation and solution of bilateral issues presented

Highlight:

• Agreement on establishment of the WB6 Chamber Investment Forum signed

Sep 18, Split

Conference “WISE”

• WB6 Ministers of Education and Science
• Minister of Education of Croatia 
• “WB Research and Innovation Centre” (WISE) was established

Oct 8, Luxembourg

Conference “Eastern Mediterranean –Western Balkans route”

• WB6, EU member states, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs
• Migrants must be returned to countries of origin
• WB6 assistance commended 
• Key joint actions agreed upon

Oct 21, Budva

Inauguration meeting of the WB6 CIF

• Members of the WB6 Chamber Investment Forum 
• Working groups were established and rules of procedure adopted

Oct 25, Brussels

Meeting on the WB Migration Route

• Presidents/ Prime Ministers: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia; President of the EC; Reps of the Luxembourg Presidency of EU Council, of the future Dutch Presidency, UNHCR, Frontex, European Asylum Support Office
• 17-point action plan agreed upon

Nov 12-13, Prague

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the V4 and the WB6

• Ministers of Foreign Affairs of WB6 and V4
• Representatives of the EC, of Croatia, Slovenia, UK
• RCC Secretary General 
• The Agreement on Establishment of the Western Balkans Fund signed

Dec 7-8, Sarajevo

EU-WB Forum on Justice and Home Affairs

• Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs of WB6 and the EU member states
• DG HOME Commissioner
• EU-Western Balkans counter terrorism initiative adopted