Division 1 Introduction and objectives

South-East Europe remains an area of concern and an important challenge in the EU Strategy to combat illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition (‘the EU SALW Strategy’). While significant progress has been made in recent years, the accumulation of small arms and light weapons (‘SALW’) and ammunition, inadequate storage conditions, illicit possession, and policy-making and implementation capacity gaps coupled with fragile political systems continue to limit the effectiveness of SALW control efforts. Therefore, in order to ensure continuous progress, secure the gains made and pave the way for a long-term sustainable solution that includes full harmonisation with the Union legislative and regulatory framework and compliance with international standards, the continuation of support to combat the threat posed by the spread and illicit trafficking of SALW in and from South-East Europe forms an essential part of the Union's efforts to achieve the goals of the EU SALW Strategy.

To address the remaining challenges in SALW control and reinforce the commitment of the Western Balkans in combating illicit trafficking and misuse of firearms, a Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW/firearms and their ammunition in the Western Balkans by 2024 (‘the Roadmap’) was developed by the SALW commissions of the Western Balkans on 29 May 2018 in Tirana, following a consultation process with relevant institutions and international organisations. It was endorsed in the framework of the Western Balkans Summit in London on 9 July 2018. The Roadmap envisions the Western Balkans as a safer region and an exporter of security, where comprehensive and sustainable oversight and control mechanisms, fully harmonised with Union and other international standards, are in place to identify, prevent, prosecute and control the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of firearms, ammunition and explosives. The Roadmap has been developed as a guiding document and, as such, envisages agreed levels of performance and outlines the commitment required at strategic, policy and operational level amongst the beneficiaries, building on the political commitment of the Western Balkans authorities to the UN and Union arms-control commitments and strategic documents.

The South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), as the executive arm of the Regional Implementation Plan on Combating the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, supported the development of the Roadmap and will coordinate and support its implementation. This action will thus increase the assistance for SALW control provided by means of Council Decisions 2010/179/CFSP, 2013/730/CFSP and (CFSP) 2016/2356. It will advance further the processes and measures necessary for achieving sustainable SALW control in the Western Balkans.

This action will: (a) support the coordination of the Roadmap implementation; (b) provide support for the harmonisation of legislative and regulatory frameworks on SALW/firearms with those of the Union; and (c) enable a clear understanding of the current gaps and needs in order to improve further cross-border detection capacities with regard to illicit firearms trafficking by building on the establishment of the firearms focal points (‘FFPs’) in South-East Europe. It will also ensure a better overview of the current situation and identify areas for capacity support in preventing the illicit proliferation and trafficking of SALW/firearms in Ukraine and Belarus, building on the assistance provided under Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356 in support of reducing the threat of the illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW in South-East Europe (SEESAC IV). As such, the implementation of this action will complement the activities under Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356, allowing for the scaling-up of the impact on combating illicit trafficking of firearms. It will ensure the coordination of other actions and initiatives in the region concerning the fight against firearms trafficking, in order to exploit synergies, enhance interoperability and prevent duplication of effort.^f1

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to European and global peace and security by combating the threat posed by the accumulation of and illicit trafficking in SALW and their ammunition in and from South-East Europe. At the same time, it will enhance regional stability by working within the framework of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and in partnership with other relevant international partners and initiatives.

The project will directly contribute to the implementation of the EU Security Strategy, the EU SALW Strategy, the EU Firearms Strategy, the Action Plan on illicit trafficking in firearms between the EU and the South East Europe region for the period 2015–2019 (‘the 2015–2019 Action Plan’), the EU Policy Cycle for organised and serious international crime, including the European multidisciplinary platform against criminal threats (EMPACT) Firearms, 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 complement the implementation of the Commission Action Plan to target the illicit trafficking of firearms and explosives in the Union.

Specifically, the project will:

• coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW/firearms and their ammunition in the Western Balkans;

• support authorities in the Western Balkans in fully harmonising their arms-control legislation with the Union regulatory framework and other related international obligations; and

• provide support for countering illicit arms trafficking in the Western Balkans, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus through capacity assessments and technical assistance to the law-enforcement and border-police authorities.

Building upon the successful implementation of Decision 2013/730/CFSP as well as Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356, and in line with the EU SALW Strategy, this follow-up project thus aims to further strengthen partners' control systems and to continue to foster multilateralism by reinforcing well-established regional mechanisms for countering the supply and destabilising spread of SALW and their ammunition. Furthermore, in order to ensure that the capacities developed within South-East Europe institutions are shared with other geographic areas of concern, the project will provide for a more comprehensive regional dimension through targeted knowledge-transfer efforts.