# Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356 of 19 December 2016 in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe in the framework of the EU Strategy to combat illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition, Division 1: Introduction and objectives

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

South-East Europe (SEE) remains an area of particular concern as well as an important challenge in the EU Strategy to combat illicit accumulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and their ammunition (‘the EU SALW Strategy’). While significant progress has been made in recent years, the sheer scale of accumulation of SALW and ammunition, inadequate storage conditions, large illicit possession, and policymaking and implementation-capacity gaps continue to limit the effectiveness of SALW control efforts. Therefore, in order to ensure continuous progress, secure the gains and pave the way for a long-term solution, the continuation of support to combat the threat posed by the spread and illicit trafficking of SALW in and from SEE forms an essential part of the Union's efforts to achieve the goals of the EU SALW Strategy.
The overall objective of the project is to contribute to international peace and security by combating the threat posed by the widespread accumulation and illicit trafficking of SALW and their ammunition in and from SEE. At the same time, it will enhance regional stability by working within the framework of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC; successor to the Stability Pact for South-East Europe) and in partnership with other relevant initiatives. Specifically, the project will: increase regional cooperation, knowledge exchange and information-sharing and lead to enhanced capacity for evidence-based policymaking; improve capacities for physical security and stockpile management (‘PSSM’) through infrastructure security upgrades, surplus reduction and training; enhance capacity for marking, tracing and record-keeping; and reduce illicit possession and misuse of firearms through support for awareness-raising and collection campaigns.
The implementation of the project is grounded in the Regional Implementation Plan on Combating the Proliferation of SALW and will result in increased security and stability in SEE and beyond, addressing the spread and illicit trafficking of SALW and their ammunition. The project will directly contribute to the implementation of the EU Security Strategy, the EU SALW Strategy, the EU Firearms Strategy, the Arms Trade Treaty, the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects, the International Tracing Instrument, the UN Firearms Protocol and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), and will specifically enhance regional cooperation in combating the threat posed by the spread of SALW and their ammunition. The project results will also directly contribute the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 on peaceful and just societies, in particular targets 16.1 (significantly reduce all forms of violence and death rate everywhere) and 16.4 (significantly reduce illicit arms flows). In addition, the project will support the implementation of the Commission Action Plan to target the illicit trafficking of firearms and explosives in the Union.
Building upon the successful implementation of Council Decision 2013/730/CFSP in particular, and in line with the EU SALW Strategy, this follow-up project thus aims to further strengthen national control systems and to continue to foster multilateralism forging regional mechanisms for countering the supply and destabilising spread of SALW and their ammunition. Furthermore, in order to ensure that the capacity gains from SEE are shared with other possible areas of concern, the project will seek a more comprehensive regional dimension through targeted knowledge-transfer efforts.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2016/2356/annex/division/1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2016-2356/annex/division-1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.