Tomorrow, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson will host a videoconference of EU and Western Balkans Foreign and Home Affairs Ministers on countering firearms trafficking.
The video meeting takes place in cooperation with EU High Representative Josep Borrell, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, and the Slovenian EU Council Presidency. EU agencies as well as regional and international organisations such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime will also take part in the meeting.
Participants will discuss the implementation of the 2020-2025 EU action plan on firearms trafficking with a focus on the actions concerning South-East Europe, as well as the implementation of the Regional Roadmap for Comprehensive Small Arms and Light Weapons control in the Western Balkans.
Since the adoption of the Roadmap in 2018, the EU Commission has noted continuous progress by Western Balkan partners in the harmonisation of legal frameworks with EU and UN firearms rules, as well as an increase in operational cooperation and information exchange with the EU and its law enforcement agencies. The meeting is an opportunity to discuss further actions on the remaining challenges across the region, including gaps in the criminal law frameworks and data exchange among law enforcement, courts and prosecution offices.