Through a regionally owned and led framework, the RCC focuses on promotion and enhancement of regional cooperation in South East Europe (SEE) and supports European and Euro-Atlantic integration of the aspiring countries. The RCC provides operational capacities to and works under the political guidance of the SEECP.

In line with its Statue and guided by the principles of all-inclusiveness, the main tasks of the RCC are to represent the region, assist the SEECP, monitor regional activities, exert leadership in regional cooperation, provide a regional perspective in donor assistance – notably the EU’s Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) programme – and support increased involvement of civil society in regional activities.

The RCC functions as a focal point for regional cooperation in SEE and its key role is to generate and coordinate developmental projects of a wider, regional character, to the benefit of each individual participant, and create an appropriate political climate susceptible to their implementation.

The areas of cooperation in the framework of the RCC are economic and social development; energy and infrastructure; justice and home affairs; security cooperation; building human capital, as well as cross-cutting issues such as parliamentary cooperation, media development, civil society activities and gender mainstreaming.

The main operational documents guiding the RCC work is the Strategy and Work Programme (SWP) 2014 – 2016, approved at the SEECP Foreign Ministers meeting held in Ohrid in May 2013, with the South East Europe (SEE) 2020 Strategy, adopted at the South East European Ministerial in Sarajevo in November 2013, as its major part.

The SEE 2020 Strategy aims at promoting creation of jobs and prosperity in a European perspective for the Western Balkans. It has five pillars, which are: Smart Growth (emphasising education, innovation, research and development, culture and creative sectors), Sustainable Growth (ensuring economic sustainability through enterprise creation and export increase, as well as energy efficiency and climate control and integrated transport), Inclusive Growth (supporting employment generation, social inclusion, good health and well-being), Integrated Growth (promoting closer regional integration in terms of trade and investment) and Governance for Growth (including effective public services and fight against corruption).

The organization develops and maintains close working relationships with all relevant actors and stakeholders in these areas, such as governments, international organizations, international financial institutions, regional organizations, civil society and the private sector.

The RCC also develops close relationships with and receives substantive input from relevant regional task forces and initiatives active in specific thematic areas of regional cooperation.

The Statute of the RCC forms the basis for its operations. According to it, the RCC Board provides operational guidance and supervision to the organization. It comprises of those RCC participants contributing to the budget of the RCC Secretariat as well as the EU, represented by a representative of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and a representative of the European Commission.

The RCC is supported by the Secretary General, a Secretariat based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a Liaison Office in Brussels.

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council is Majlinda Bregu.