For SC Busek, “political and civil society awareness and determination are growing”

  At a SEECP Ministerial Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Bucharest, 18 May 2004, a new chapter on implementing measures to combat organized crime and corruption, including trafficking in human beings has been opened.   The focus was on implementation and law enforcement.  By adopting a joint statement , ministers recommitted their governments to establish co-ordination mechanisms within the respective bodies of their administrations, such as linking up ministries of justice and home affairs with other agencies involved.  They also agreed to link these bodies with the regional instruments available in this domain, such as the Stability Pact Police Forum, the Bucharest-based Center to Fight Transborder Crime (SECI Center) and the Stability Pact Initiatives to Fight Organized Crime (SPOC) and Corruption (SPAI) with their respective support units in Bucharest and Sarajevo.  “By endorsing these measures at the highest political level” Special Co-ordinator  Erhard Busek   stated,“a new dimension of public acknowledgment and awareness has been demonstrated.  The phase of implementation has clearly begun!” 

In order to make the joint campaign effective, a whole range of legislative and technical measures and domestic application of international conventions are needed.  Ministers agreed to foster co-operation between their national agencies and Europol and Eurojust, the latter being a EU agency for the co-operation of public prosecutors offices based in The Hague.  Governments committed themselves to act in accordance with the necessary legislation, such as the Council of Europe conventions on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and on Extradition, as well as the UN conventions against Corruption (Merida Convention) and Organized Crime (Palermo Convention).  (See Statement below for details)

Apart from forming intra-national co-ordination mechanisms, ministers also agreed to strengthen regional co-operation amongst agencies fighting organized crime and corruption.   The enhanced co-operation of SEE ministers of justice and of home affairs is intended to boost the EU – Western Balkans dialogue on tackling organized crime, also known as the Thessaloniki Forum.  

An additional novelty is the commitment of the governments to actively inform and involve civil society on policies and measures taken in this context.  It has been proven in other parts of the world, that the public awareness and the public exposure of malpractices have substantially contributed to remedy the demon of organized crime and corruption as well as reducing the risk of becoming a victim of trafficking.

The Ministers will assess progress made under their joint campaign at their next meeting.

Attached:          Joint Statement of the JHA Ministers from the States participating in the SEECP on a Joint Campaign to fight Organized Crime and Corruption in SEE

                             Speech of SC Busek at Ministerial Conference