Brussels, 26/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission approved the annual 2003 report on the stabilisation and association process in favour of South East Europe, that is, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Serbia and Montenegro. The report, the second of its kind, gives an account of the progress made over twelve months by these five countries: - restored stability in the region as well as strengthened regional cooperation, improved security conditions, the setting in place of democratically-elected governments and sustained economic growth. However, it also stresses the need to continue reforms in many areas especially in the way the institutions work, implementation of the rule of law, the fight against organised crime and corruption, reform of the judiciary, and the setting in place of market economies and strengthened cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). EUROPE will come back to the conclusions of the report in greater detail.