Xenophon Paper 2 pdf - ICBSS

frontline of the major geostrategic considerations. No one would debate that emerging
potential of the region, which is promising many benefits in trade, economic growth, and
energy cooperation. 10 Of course, the BSEC is chiefly directed at economic cooperation,
thus representing a complementary sub-structure to the EU and euro-atlantic institutions.
The years that passed since its inception proved to be fruitful, comprehensive and telling.
Nevertheless, the anniversary must serve not only as an official ceremonial event, but
to a larger extent, as a means to reconsider some of its lessons and critical achievements.
Despite the adoption in 1998 of a clearly ambitious statute, which portrays it as a ‘regional
economic organisation’, in essence, the BSEC remains simply a multilateral forum for
regional dialogue. Since 10 December 1992, the BSEC has set up a Permanent Secretariat,
in Istanbul, and its work is conducted in the framework of permanent 18 working groups
and ad hoc groups of experts. On 26 February 1993, the PABSEC was founded to add
another dimension to the sphere of cooperation of the BSEC. In the meantime, the
Organisation progressively expanded its actions to other fields which were not stipulated
in the original charter, dealing with such various issues and organisational matters as
travel facilities for business people, investments, taxation or sharing data on legislation.
In 1999, the BSEC drew up a “BSEC – EU Platform of Cooperation”, and afterwards, it
adopted a framework document “The BSEC Economic Agenda for the Future”, 11 which
paid considerable tribute to the need of enhancing “the quality of governance, institutional
reform and renewal”. 12
Although it was criticised for being a long wish-list, 13 the Agenda continues to serve as
a good strategy, which has not yet been implemented. The document sets up concrete
priorities in order to strengthen the security and stability of the region, mainly on ‘softthreats’,
such as organised crime, terrorism, drugs and illegal immigration. It dwells on
the need to develop cooperation with other relevant organisations and fora, like the
Central European Initiative (CEI), the Southeast European Cooperation Initiative (SECI),
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment
Bank (EIB), the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the Nordic Council of
10 Representing a population of more than 400 million, covering a wide geographical space with extremely rich
natural resources (40% of world natural resources, 15% of petroleum, 31% of coal, while members produce
12,5% of total electricity output), the region is certainly of geopolitical relevance.
11 BSEC (2001), BSEC Economic Agenda for the Future. Towards a more consolidated, effective and viable
BSEC Partnership (Moscow, 27 April 2001). Available on the BSEC website http://www.bsec-organisation.org.
12 BSEC (2005), “Joint Declaration on institutional renewal and good governance of the ministers in charge of
public administration and the ministers of justice of the member states of the Organisation of the BSEC”, adopted
in Athens on 21 February 2005.
13 Ecobescu, Nicolae (2006), ‘BSEC at 14: enhancing effectiveness through better perforamcne and meaningful
institutional reform’, ICBSS Policy Brief, no.2, ICBSS, Athens, September. Available on http://www.icbss.org.
90 UNFOLDING THE BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION VIEWS FROM THE REGION