# 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: Description

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

The legacy of the past conflicts, as well as a traditional attachment to weapons among the population in SEE, has created a serious problem with large-scale possession of illegal weapons (estimated to be several million pieces). This poses a serious threat not only to peace and stability in the region but also beyond. Despite some success from efforts in the past to curb it, the illicit possession remains significant throughout the region, potentially fuelling the supply side of illicit trafficking towards the Union. However, this problem requires a long-term solution focusing on changing attitudes and perceptions through sustained targeted interventions. The complexity of the issue requires a rethink of the approaches taken thus far and the need to establish a strong baseline analysis of the reasons for which individuals hold on to illegal weapons. The previous phase showed the need for sustained outreach and awareness-raising efforts in order to reduce the illicit possession of firearms, which remains one of the most immediate threats. Therefore, this component proposes a more sustained effort to raise awareness of the dangers posed by illicit possession as well as to increase the rate of SALW handover by using innovative citizen-centric methodologies and approaches. It will do so through:
a regional survey establishing a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena behind illicit weapons possession;
the development and implementation of innovative awareness-raising and (where possible) collection campaigns seeking to reduce the levels of illicit possession.
Activities will be conducted in partnership with a wide number of institutions and civil-society organisations, thus creating a basis for long-term efforts to address this problem.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2016/2356/annex/division/3/division/3.4/division/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2016-2356/annex/division-3/division-3.4/division-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.