EU Support to the Implementation of the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap
SEESAC is implementing a comprehensive three-year project supporting the implementation of the Regional Roadmap for a Sustainable Solution to the Illegal Possession, Misuse and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans, while also strengthening disarmament and arms control efforts in South-East and East Europe.
The project is funded under Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/2587, adopted on 15 December 2025, and builds upon achievements under previous EU Council Decisions (CFSP), including 2013/730, (amended by 2015/2051), 2016/2356, (amended by 2019/2113), 2018/1788 (amended by 2021/2161 and 2022/1654), 2019/2111 (amended by 2024/381), 2022/2321, and 2024/3006, as well as the IPA/2021/425-067 Support for enhancing the fight against the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans project implemented by SEESAC. The Decision reaffirms the EU’s long-term commitment to addressing illicit arms trafficking from the Western Balkans and to strengthening regional and interregional cooperation on SALW control.
The project aims to further support efforts to combat the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition in the Western Balkans and neighbouring regions, while responding to evolving security challenges and safeguarding progress achieved to date. Funding support is provided to UNDP Country Offices and UNODC through the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), for which SEESAC serves as a Secretariat.
Supporting the second phase of the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap (2025–2030), the action adopts a holistic approach, addressing both strategic and operational dimensions of SALW control, with a focus on four mutually reinforcing areas:
1. Coordination of the implementation of the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of small arms and light weapons, their ammunition and explosives in the Western Balkans by 2030, through:
- provision of expert and technical support to Roadmap coordination including regional Roadmap coordination meetings focusing on taking stock of progress and information exchange;
- the provision of expert and technical support to local Roadmap coordination meetings monitoring the implementation of partners' action plans;
- the development of biannual monitoring and evaluation reports documenting progress, challenges and needs in the implementation of the Roadmap based on the commonly agreed KPIs;
- the mid term review of the implementation of the Roadmap;
- Roadmap outreach and visibility activities (including the maintenance of an online platform, stakeholder engagement and awareness raising).
2. Contribute to strengthened interregional cooperation, knowledge exchange and information-sharing on arms control, through:
- Provision of technical and advisory support;
- Organization of meetings, workshops, and study visits.
3. Capacity development of law enforcement services of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine for countering illicit trafficking, misuse and possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives, based on needs assessments and in line with international best practices, through:
- Provision of advisory support, technical assistance, training, equipment for law enforcement services in countering illicit arms trafficking in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine;
- Support for participation in specialized regional platforms on SALW control.
4. Further capacity development of customs services of the Western Balkans for countering illicit trafficking through:
- the procurement and delivery of specialized equipment for Customs Authorities.
Beneficiaries
The direct beneficiaries of the project are the institutions responsible for SALW control in South East and East Europe. The authorities responsible for home affairs, police services, border guards and customs authorities of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo1, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine benefit from either advisory support, the coordination and monitoring efforts, or capacity development, knowledge advancement, improved procedures and specialized equipment necessary for policy, operational and technical advancements in SALW control. The general population of South East and East Europe and the Union, at risk from the illegal possession, misuse and proliferation of SALW, will benefit from this project indirectly.
Broader contribution and impact
The action directly contributes to the implementation of the EU Security Strategy, the EU Strategy against Illicit Firearms, Small Arms and Light Weapons and their Ammunition, the EU Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking, and the EU Policy Cycle for organized and serious international crime (EMPACT Firearms). It also supports key international frameworks, including 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, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, and the UN Disarmament Agenda, reinforced through the Pact for the Future, which provides renewed political momentum and institutional backing for global disarmament commitments.
The action enhances regional cooperation in countering the spread, misuse and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition. Project results contribute directly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda on peaceful and just societies—particularly targets 16.1 (reducing all forms of violence and related deaths) and 16.4 (significantly reducing illicit arms flows)—as well as Goal 5 on gender equality. In addition, the action supports the implementation of the South-East Europe Regional Implementation Plan on Combating the Proliferation and Impact of SALW and is implemented within the framework of the UNDP Regional Programme Document for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (2026–2029).
Building on the Western Balkans’ role as a global example of good practice in SALW control, the Roadmap and its monitoring model continue to inform and inspire similar initiatives in other regions, including the Caribbean and Central America. Through Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/2587, the EU reinforces the Western Balkans’ position as a regional exporter of security and a reference point for sustainable, cooperative arms control solutions worldwide.