Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/2133 of 2 December 2021 in support of the comprehensive programme on supporting efforts to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Conventional Ammunition (CA) in South-Eastern Europe

1 With a view to the implementation of the Union Small Arms and Light Weapons Strategy, the purpose of this Decision is to reduce risks of illicit trafficking in, and the uncontrolled spread of, SALW in, to or from South-Eastern Europe that undermine safety and security by impeding sustainable peacebuilding and socioeconomic development as well as by contributing to a breakdown in order, fuelling terrorism and criminal violence or leading to a resumption of conflict.

2 Pursuant to paragraph 1, the objectives of this Decision are the following: a) to reduce the risk of SALW proliferation and misuse in the Republic of Albania; b) to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in mitigating security and safety risks related to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition; c) to support the strengthening of the existing K-9 capability of the Kosovo Police and its direct contribution towards the prevention, suppression and investigation of SALW, ammunition, and explosives misuse and trafficking in the Western Balkans; d) to reduce the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of SALW in the Republic of North Macedonia, through increasing the prevention, detection, analysis and investigative capacity of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and other governmental organisations; e) to reduce the risk of unplanned explosions at munitions sites and to reduce the diversion of SALW/SCA from the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro storage sites; f) to reduce safety and security risks related to SALW in illegal possession, abuses of legal SALW, and the illicit trafficking of SALW in Serbia; g) to assist the OSCE participating States to better plan, implement and, if necessary, strengthen their commitments against the illicit proliferation of SALW/SCA.

3 The beneficiaries of the project shall be: a) authorities in SEE mandated and responsible for preventing and combatting the illicit trafficking of SALW and CA, namely SALW commissions/boards, Ministries of Internal Affairs, and law-enforcement agencies such as the police. Other engaged authorities are the Ministries of Security, prosecutors’ offices, courts and penitentiary services in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Ministry of Defence in Montenegro. In Serbia, the project also foresees engagement with civil society organisations dealing with SALW control issues (direct beneficiaries); b) populations of jurisdictions in SEE and its European neighbourhood that are at risk by the use of illicit SALW and CA in criminal activities, terrorism and violent misuse (indirect beneficiaries); c) mandated authorities in the Union and its Member States benefiting from enhanced SALW and CA control capacities in SEE through, inter alia, better information exchanges, as well as coordination and cooperation measures such as risk identification, investigation and tracing, detection and seizure of illicit SALW and CA (indirect beneficiaries).

4 A detailed description of the project is set out in the Annex to this Decision.

1 The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (‘HR’) shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.

2 The technical implementation of the project referred to in Article 1 (the ‘project’) shall be carried out by the OSCE Secretariat.

3 The OSCE Secretariat shall perform its tasks under the responsibility of the HR. For that purpose, the HR shall enter into the necessary arrangements with the OSCE Secretariat.

1 The financial reference amount for the implementation of the project financed by the Union shall be EUR 4208827.

2 The expenditure financed by the reference amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the general budget of the Union.

3 The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure referred to in paragraph 1. For that purpose, it shall conclude the necessary financing agreement with the OSCE Secretariat. The financing agreement shall stipulate that the OSCE Secretariat has to ensure the visibility of the Union’s contribution, appropriate to its size.

4 The Commission shall endeavour to conclude the financing agreement referred to in paragraph 3 as soon as possible after the entry into force of this Decision. It shall inform the Council of any difficulties in that process and of the date of conclusion of the financing agreement.

1 The HR shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular narrative reports prepared by the OSCE Secretariat. Those reports shall form the basis of the evaluation to be carried out by the Council.

2 The Commission shall report on the financial aspects of the project referred to in Article 1.

1 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

2 This Decision shall expire 36 months after the date of conclusion of the financing agreement referred to in Article 3(3). However, it shall expire 6 months after the date of its entry into force if no agreement has been concluded within that period.