South-East Europe Criminal Police Services Jointly Address the Evolving Threats and Enhance Mitigation Capacities in Combatting Illicit Firearms Trafficking

The representatives of Criminal Police Services of six  South-East Europe jurisdictions, including criminal investigators and the representatives from CSI units, have gathered for a two-day Regional Meeting in Sarajevo, on 23-24 April.  Within the efforts of strengthening the strategic and operational capacities of the jurisdictions, the meeting enabled reflection on the current and future challenges in combatting the illegal possession, misuse, and trafficking of firearms in the Western Balkans while highlighting the invaluable information and knowledge sharing that occurs through regional cooperation.

The meeting created a platform for showcasing the venues and potential for interinstitutional and international cooperation by also highlighting the ongoing work of the firearms program within INTERPOL and EMPACT. Amid the evolving and innovative firearms threats and in an effort to enhance the mitigation capacities of the jurisdictions, SEESAC has introduced the participants to the evolving challenges in combatting 3D-printed firearms. To further enhance jurisdictions’ awareness and provide input to the Law Enforcement Authorities, SEESAC commissioned a study on the threat of 3D-printed firearms.

The importance of creating a seizure database and enabling proactive sharing of its data was underlined and emphasized as a potential for the firearms focal points (FFPs) to advance regional cooperation through data exchange and, consequently, through joint development of a harmonized data set and an early detection system.

To assist the jurisdictions’ CSI units in the harmonization of their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with the practices promoted by the European Network for Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI), SEESAC’s expert presented the findings and recommendations of the CSI assessment conducted in the Western Balkan jurisdictions. In addition, individual consultations between the SEESAC expert and each of the Western Balkan jurisdictions allowed SEESAC to showcase the support it can provide, including additional guidance and recommendations for improving the existing SOPs.

The meeting was organized within the framework of the European Union Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/2111, amended by the Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/381 in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in Southeast Europe, the Regional IPA project in Support for Enhancing the Fight Against the Illegal Possession, Misuse, and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkan, and the EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2321 in support of SEESAC for the implementation of the Regional Roadmap on combating illicit arms trafficking in the Western Balkans.