Organised Crime has infiltrated some government structures during the 80s and 90s in Southeastern Europe.  To fight such residues is just as important as the linking up of SEE countries on a regional level to combat organised crime.  Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact Busek said that organised crime is eroding some of the benefits, especially regarding investment and business opportunities, that SEE countries start to enjoy after the consolidation and improvements in the last four years.  At a Conference on Shaping a Common Security Agenda in Southeastern Europe in Sofia, Busek underlined that the instruments at hand to fight organised crime are numerous.  The challenge remaining is to co-ordinate them well and exploit synergies.

For the Stability Pact he mentioned the Migration, Asylum and Refugee Initiative, the follow up on the Ohrid Conference on Border Management and Security and the Bucharest based Transborder Crime Fighting Centre as instruments, which all start to make live for criminals harder and the co-operation between police better.  A particular attention is also given to fighting the dreadful human rights violation of trafficking of human beings through the Pact’s Anti Human Trafficking Task Force.  The world, since September 11, has seen a changing approach in the fight against terrorism.  Terrorism is much less prevalent in Southeastern Europe compared to other regions in the world, but since international crime and international terrorism often use similar techniques, the instruments, which are put in place in SEE, are by the same token a contribution to preventing and fighting terrorist networks as well.

Special Co-ordinator’s speech