Regional Report on Arms Exports
In 2006 SEESAC has initiated with the Western Balkan countries the process of developing annual national reports on arms exports. Since then SEESAC has provided continuous assistance to the relevant authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. As a result these countries are able today to produce annual national arms exports reports. Electronic copies of their reports can be downloaded here
In 2009 SEESAC has been assisting Albania in developing such a report by providing support to the newly established Albanian State Export Control Authority. SEESAC has also continued to provide advice and support for the improvement of the national reports of the other Western Balkan countries.
In 2009 SEESAC has also offered assistance to Croatia for the development of their first national report on arms exports.
In July 2009 SEESAC organised a regional conference in Montenegro, where representatives from Albania, BiH, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia discussed the development of the first Regional Report on Arms Exports.
The objective of the conference was to agree on the format of the Regional Report and discuss the establishment of information exchange mechanism on denials of licenses in the Western Balkans.
Consensus was reached on the format of the Regional Report. The Regional Report will follow closely the format of the EU annual report on arms exports. The representatives agreed on the data submission procedure. The language of submission will either be the country's language or English. It was agreed that SEESAC will compile national submissions and produce two drafts. The first draft will be circulated for comments by the end of September; the second, incorporating the comments, will be finalized and circulated by the end of October. It is expected that the Regional Report will be published by the end of November 2009.
You can download here the Conclusions by the Chairman and the Report Template.
Following discussions on a regional process for exchanging information on licence denials, it was agreed that at present national legislation in the Western Balkans countries does not contain the necessary provisions for a formal mechanism.
Consensus was reached to initiate a process of informal discussions relating to export embargoes, national export policies on particular destinations and types of goods exported there. SEESAC will be the Secretariat for this process. The first meeting will be held in Belgrade, Serbia at the end of October 2009. SEESAC will circulate a draft Agenda in early September, with a final version to be agreed by the end of September 2009.
Montenegro has sumbitted information on their exports for the Regional Report.
