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EUHR Solana's Intervention on organized crime in South Eastern Europe

Chairmen,
Ministers,
Distinguished guests,

Allow me to begin by thanking Jack Straw and David Blunkett for their initiative in organizing this ministerial conference. The number, range and quality of participants and speakers gathered here today is evidence of our collective determination to tackle the curse of organized crime in South Eastern Europe.

Such large mobilization does not come as a surprise to me: we have all been engaged in the Balkans for years to defend common values and help all the inhabitants of the region build a better and new future. That means that our success also depends on having appropriate means to fight organized crime.

What do I see in the Balkans?

I have devoted much time and efforts to the Balkans, and will continue to do so. Each time I observe that the region is in better shape. An enormous amount has been achieved: democracy is now prevailing and the logic of political disintegration has been replaced by the logic of integration. This is a great and common achievement.

Nevertheless much remains to be done. The fight against organized crime is one of the key challenges we face today. The reasons why organized crime threatens the political and economic stability of the Balkans are obvious for all of us.

Let me quote only two figures which illustrate how the problem has become endemic:

• according to the International Organization for Migration, among the 700 000 women who are transported over international borders each year for the sex trade, as many as 200 000 are taken to or through the Balkans;
  
  
• according to Interpol, Former Yugoslav Organized Crime groups now control the distribution of around 70 per cent of the heroin within several European countries.

There is no shortage of similar examples and figures. Every country of the region is blighted by the smuggling of drugs and cigarettes, by the trafficking of people and weapons, by corruption and by racketeering.

The cumulative effect is intolerable - important war criminals remain at large, often sustained by organised crime. It is an affront to justice, a barrier to the progress and development of the countries of the region, and a threat to the security of us all. Quite simply, it must stop.

The Balkans are in Europe

We have a common future. For you, the representatives from governments in the region, it is intolerable that organized crime should endanger the prospect of European integration. For us, the European Union, it is intolerable that organized crime should prevent the establishment of an effective rule of law in our own neighborhood.

This is the clear message to be delivered today. There is no more time for complacency.

We have plenty of information about what is going on in the region. We are aware of many things. But it is out of question here to reproach governments for failing or for procrastinating. We have to be realistic. We have to face facts.

First fact: a predatory system exists in the Balkans

Organized crime has benefited from conflict and post-conflict situations. Organized crime has put in place a genuine predatory system in the Balkans. We must recognize this reality.

Second fact: sharing responsibility

We cannot allow ourselves to be complacent. The European Union, its Members and Candidate States, the G 8 countries and the International organizations present today - all of us have to assume our part of responsibility. The Western Balkans will remain the gateway of organized crime to Europe until the criminal networks are stopped from making their business in our countries.

Let us take cigarette smuggling as an example. Some 1,000 tonnes of illegal cigarettes per month are believed to cross the Adriatic Sea to the European market. It has also been estimated that, in order to consume all the cigarettes legally imported by some Balkans countries, every citizen of these countries, including babies, would need to smoke 17,000 cigarettes per day.

Many of these cigarettes are produced by western companies. After short transit through the Balkans, they enter our markets through the back door. We need to take steps to put an end to this. We need to be serious and put our own house in order too!

Third fact: the so-called "Balkans route"

South Eastern Europe is not a black hole. The starting points of the "Balkans route" are located eastward, in Asia Minor and even in Central Asia. Organized crime in the Western Balkans originates also from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

From these different observations, I will try to offer some thoughts on the way ahead.

The first one relates to the concept of partnership for security

This is in my view a crucial notion. I have spoken about shared responsibility, but burden sharing is even more important. Because criminal networks are transnational, local governments cannot fight against organized crime on their own. For the same reason, the European Union and its partners cannot conduct the fight alone either.

The foreign policy priorities of all represented here today are intimately bound up with establishing the rule of law and consolidating security in the Balkans. That is the reason why today we have established a partnership to harness all the tools already at our disposal against insecurity. Therefore I strongly hope that Bosnia-Herzegovina will be the first successful test for this partnership when the European Union will take over a vital police mission from the United Nations.

My second comment is inspired by a recurrent question: how to ensure better co-ordination?

Most international actors and organizations active in the Balkans appear to be dealing with some aspect of the fight against organized crime. The progressive development of the European Union's capabilities in both the security and defense and justice and home affairs areas increases the range of instruments at our disposal.

New initiatives and new co-ordination structures alone will not do the trick. The challenge is vast, and our enemies are resourceful. To succeed we need real political determination, at the highest level, to ensure that our efforts are pooled in the most effective way. The battle against organized crime will only be won if we are determined and united.

We also need to involve those who are the real experts in fighting organized crime. And I address myself to you, ministers of justice and of the interior, to our police forces, and to our judges and prosecutors. Fighting crime in the Balkans should no longer be seen as something different from fighting crime at home. The criminal networks are the same. The crimes are the same. The best methods to fight them are the same. Close and effective co-operation. And if we don't manage to take the fight across borders, to their home bases, into the Balkans, we have little hope of winning in the long run.

What we need therefore is to develop means for the real professionals to co-operate. They need to exchange information, push investigations all the way, extradite suspects, bring them to justice. They need to be able to rely on the full co-operation and readiness of police and judicial structures in all countries concerned. And they need to feel that they have our full support. No criminal should be protected; no blind eye should be turned on crime.

Now the London Statement is on the table. We need to take action, and be creative. Should we reinforce or extend existing liaison officer networks? Set up a formal or an informal Steering Committee? No option can be excluded a priori. The international community has recently shown in FYROM that we can work closely and effectively together and with the government. We must apply the same recipe against organized crime.

My last comment relates to the pre-requisite of political will

Organized crime is a common threat. It demands a coordinated and an enduring response. The fight against organized crime in the Western Balkans has to be systematically on the agenda of our different meetings. Therefore the commitments from the future EU Presidencies are particularly valuable.

At the same time, organized crime in the Western Balkans is first and foremost a problem for the region. It is in the interest of local governments to find solutions to the problems faced by their citizens and demonstrate their willingness in concrete terms. This attitude will also pave the way towards the European Union.

In the hope that I have provided some ideas for our debates, I will stop here. I am convinced that our discussions today will give the much-needed political impetus to local and international efforts.

I have no doubt as to the success of our new venture. For the simple reason that we have no choice but to succeed.

Thank you.

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