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The European Parliament (EP) yesterday adopted a resolution on co-operation in the fight against Organized Crime in the Western Balkans.
While expressing his view that the connection of visa liberalization with Kosovo with the fight against organized crime is counterproductive because according to the EP, isolation encourages criminal activities.
The European Parliament in this resolution reiterates that Kosovo has met all the criteria for visa liberalization.
According to the EP, the fight against organized crime and the advancement of EU integration are mutually reinforcing processes, hence the need to accelerate the EU integration process.
The European Parliament “regrets the lack of real political will among parts of the local political elite to fight organized crime and corruption and to eliminate any element of state capture”.
“(European Parliament) reiterates the need to eradicate political and administrative links to organized crime through clear safeguards against corruption and the effective prosecution of high-profile corruption cases;… is deeply alarmed by reports and allegations of links between “gjyq The construction sector in the Western Balkans is among the most vulnerable to organized crime and corruption,” the resolution said.
The resolution was supported by 531 MEPs, of whom 48 were against, while 117 abstained. The rapporteur for the resolution, which was adopted by the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) in October, was MEP Lucas Mandl (EPP).
European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic took part in the debate, which took place on Tuesday, recalling that in the latest 2021 enlargement package, the Commission reported in detail how organized crime continues to be a threat in the region.
“The Commission also notes that this is an area where results have been achieved, particularly in the fight against drug production and trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, organized property crime, smuggling of excise goods, in particular cigarettes and firearms. “, Said Lenarcic.
However, he added that there is still much to do.
“This is why the Commission fully supports the need to increase co-operation with the region in the fight against organized crime, and this has recently been reconfirmed as one of our top priorities in our engagement with the Western Balkans in the EU,” he said.
Tonino Picula (S&D) said during the debate that organized crime coupled with corruption poses a major threat in an already troubled region.
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