Strengthening Safety and Security through Regional Cooperation in South East Europe
Most of the countries in the South Eastern Europe region have been undergoing a similar process of integrating EU laws and policies on Small Arms and Light Weapons. In order to help make this transition an easier one, and to enable more effective arms export control on a regional level, SEESAC has provided a platform for persons responsible for the development and execution of arms control policies in their respective countries, to meet each other and regularly exchange relevant experiences.
The first meeting of the Regional Information Exchange Process (RIEP) took place on 12 November 2009 in Belgrade, Serbia, with the participation of delegations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.
Since then fifteen (15) meetings have taken place, the last one in Belgrade, Serbia held on 29 October 2015. More information about the past meetings you can find at:
- Fifteenth meeting: 29 October, 2015, Belgrade
- Fourteenth Meeting: 11 June, 2015, Budva
- Thirteenth Meeting: 11 March, 2015, Tirana
- Twelfth Meeting: 25 November, 2014, Skopje
- Eleventh Meeting: 19 June, 2014, Budva
- Tenth Meeting: 2 April, 2014, Jahorina
- Ninth Meeting: 5-6 November 2013, Belgrade
- Eighth Meeting: 20 November 2012, Tirana
- Seventh Meeting: 27 March 2012, Jahorina
- Sixth Meeting: 9-10 November 2011, Belgrade
- Fifth Meeting: 23 June 2011, Becici
- Fourth Meeting: 17 March 2011, Zagreb
- Third Meeting: 23-24 November, 2010, Belgrade
- Second Meeting: 23 March, 2010, Skoplje
- First Meeting: 12 November, 2009, Belgrade
All of the founding countries continue to actively participate and since have occasionally been joined by their colleagues from the EU Council Working Group for Conventional Arms Exports (COARM). In fact, high level of transparency within the Regional Information Exchange group has prompted EU officials to seek out its advice – a sure sign of great success. Among the very concrete and helpful results of the group’s work are the development of a joint Regional Report on Arms Exports, a regional Brokering Database, a report on strengthening post-export controls strengthening post-export controls "Addressing the Unauthorized Re-export or Re-Transfer of Arms and Ammunition", accompanied by a Toolkit for Addressing Unauthorized Re-export and Re-transfer of Arms and Ammunition, available in English and three local languages, (BCMS, Macedonian and Albanian) as well as the Weapons Categorisation Tool, a software designed specifically to assist with more accurate reporting on arms exports in particular to the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), available to the public.