EU and Western Balkans Ministers at Annual Forum in Sarajevo

(Patria) - Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of Denmark, which holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, together with the European Commission, represented by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, met today in Sarajevo with their Western Balkan counterparts at the annual EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs.

Representatives of the future Presidencies of the Council of the EU - Cyprus and Ireland - also attended the meeting.

The meeting confirms the shared commitment and close partnership in the field of justice and home affairs.

On the margins of the Forum, the European Union and its Western Balkan partners today signed a new Joint Action Plan for the Prevention and Fight against Terrorism and Violent Extremism for the Western Balkans.

Building on the achievements of the previous plan from 2018, the European Union and its Western Balkan partners reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism and in the prevention and suppression of violent extremism.

During the first day of the meeting, within the session on home affairs, the European Union and its Western Balkan partners discussed further improving cooperation in the online dimension of security, including the fight against radicalization, terrorist financing, violent extremist and terrorist content, and drug trafficking.

Participants acknowledged that social networks and online gaming platforms have become a major channel for the radicalization and recruitment of vulnerable young people.



It was emphasized that joint efforts will continue within the framework of the new Joint Action Plan, particularly through cooperation with the EU Radicalisation Awareness Network Centre of Excellence, with the support of agencies such as Europol and CEPOL, and institutions and civil society in the region.

Participants stressed that joint work will also continue in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking, through a new cycle of the European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

The need for effective cooperation with online platforms to report illegal content and ensure lawful access to data was highlighted, and the support of EU agencies in opening new opportunities for cooperation in the region and beyond was welcomed.

In the session on strengthening migration, asylum, and border management, and visa policy alignment, the European Union and its Western Balkan partners welcomed the progress in the implementation of the EU Action Plan for the Western Balkans from December 2022.

They reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating irregular migration by strengthening border protection and fighting migrant smuggling and human trafficking, including through enhanced cooperation between Frontex and Western Balkan partners, in line with the Global Alliance against Smuggling of Migrants.

The European Union emphasized its continued political and financial support to the region in the areas of migration, asylum, and border management, and encouraged further steps towards aligning visa policies with the EU, noting that such alignment has a proven positive impact on reducing irregular border crossings.

In addition, the EU and its Western Balkan partners discussed promoting legal migration pathways in the region, while preventing secondary movements and strengthening other key areas of cooperation, such as return and readmission.