Speaking at a plenary session on the rule of law as the fundamental requirement for freedom and democracy, Busek said he was pleased with the general situation in the justice systems of Southeast European countries, adding that they were moving in the right direction towards European standards.
The problem lies in implementation, which is why my message to the region is that it should start as soon as possible, including taking such steps as staff training, from universities to the judiciary, Busek said.
If you expect investment in the region, you must have a judiciary that can be trusted, he said, quoting some foreign investors as complaining that it was easier to invest in China or India than in Southeast Europe.
At the same time, Busek advised European and other partners to exercise patience as the region was yet to deal with the three main problems -- disposing of their Communist past, adopting European standards and changing their business habits.
The special coordinator cited corruption as a major problem, underlining that the fight against corruption required the assistance of partners. In this context he recalled that the Stability Pact was establishing a Centre for the Fight against Corruption in Sarajevo.
On the subject of organise crime, Busek said that the region had made progress, because organised crime was "invented" in Southeast Europe and that now the region had become "only" a transit area after the centre of criminal activity had moved to the East.
Busek criticised EU countries, saying that organised crime, particularly drug trafficking and human trafficking, existed because of demand for it in the EU.
The European Union must start fighting against the "consumers". It has not done much about it so far because it has concentrated more on the judiciary and economic projects, he said.
Busek called for cross-border cooperation among all the countries of Southeast Europe for the sake of an effective fight against organised crime and the general prosperity of the region.