MEPs are calling on the governments of the six Western Balkan economies to push forward with the reforms on the rule of law and combat corruption and organized crime.
They emphasized that the battle against organized crime and progress towards EU integration are two parallel reciprocal processes.
The report, adopted on Wednesday by 531 votes, 48 against and 117 abstentions, says refers to Western Balkan countries as places of “origin, destination, and transit for human trafficking, and they serve as a transit corridor for migrants and refugees and as a location for money laundering and firearms trafficking”.
He stressed that these countries must cooperate and exchange intelligence with EU member states as well as international partners in order to tackle crime and corruption.
“Organized crime harms the confidence of citizens in their public institutions. That’s why it’s a major obstacle for the efforts of the societies in the Western Balkans to develop their states and economies. The EU must not use organized crime as an excuse to delay the enlargement process but should stand with the people of the Western Balkans in their fight against organized crime”, declared Austrian MEP Lukas Mandl from the European People’s Party.
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