Information

EU support to SEESAC’s Arms Control Activities extended to 2019

On 19 December 2016, the European Union adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356 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 small arms and light weapons (SALW) and their ammunition, thus providing a financial support for a new phase of SEESAC’s work.

For the next three years, the results of SEESAC’s work will continue 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 South East Europe (SEE) and will remain an essential part of the European Union's efforts to achieve the goals of the EU SALW Strategy.

The project's strategy is grounded in SEESAC's unique approach of building and fostering confidence and cooperation in the region as a prerequisite for achieving concrete and measurable transformational change. Maintaining the holistic approach to tackling the threat posed by SALW in the region, the new phase of the project builds upon the achievements made under Council Decision 2013/730/CFSP focusing on four main areas:
 

  1. Increased regional cooperation, knowledge exchange and information-sharing, leading to enhanced capacity for evidence-based policymaking;

  2. Improved capacity for Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) through infrastructure security upgrades, surplus reduction and training;

  3. Enhanced capacity for marking, tracing and record-keeping;

  4. Reduced illicit possession and misuse of firearms through support for awareness-raising and collection campaigns.
     

The different processes facilitated by SEESAC at the regional level, involving both policymakers and technical-level practitioners, have proven to be an essential ingredient in ensuring and enabling environment for knowledge transfer, expertise exchange and information-sharing. This has served not only to increase the capacities in the region, but more importantly to build confidence and establish bridges of cooperation among institutions and individual experts.

The project's geographic scope is SEE, with direct project beneficiaries being Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In addition, the project will seek to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and expertise to Eastern European countries dealing with the same SALW problems, especially Ukraine and Belarus.

Since 2002, the EU has been supporting SEESAC through various Council Decisions including 2013/730/CFSP, 2010/179/CFSP, 2004/791/CFSP, 2003/807/CFSP, Joint Action 2002/589/CFSP,  2002/842/CFSP.

 

*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).

Back