Article 1
1. The Union shall support Western Balkans partners with the implementation of the ‘Regional Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW/firearms and their ammunition in the Western Balkans by 2024’. The goals set out in the Roadmap are: (a) by 2023, to ensure that arms control legislation is in place, fully harmonised with the EU regulatory framework and other related international obligations and standardised across the region; (b) by 2024, to ensure that arms control policies and practices in the Western Balkans are evidence based and intelligence led; (c) by 2024, to significantly reduce illicit flows of firearms, ammunition and explosives (FAE) into, within and beyond the Western Balkans; (d) by 2024, to significantly reduce the supply, demand and misuse of firearms through increased awareness, education, outreach and advocacy; (e) by 2024, to substantially decrease the estimated number of firearms in illicit possession in the Western Balkans; (f) to systematically decrease the surplus, and destroy seized small arms and light weapons and ammunition; (g) to significantly decrease the risk of proliferation and diversion of firearms, ammunition and explosives. 2. In addition to the goals referred to in paragraph 1, this Union action shall provide support for countering illicit arms trafficking in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. 3. In order to achieve the goals referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, the Union shall, by means of this Decision: (a) support the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW/firearms and their ammunition in the Western Balkans; (b) support authorities in the Western Balkans in fully harmonising their arms-control legislation with the Union regulatory framework and other related international obligations; and (c) provide support for countering illicit arms trafficking in the Western Balkans, in the Republic of Moldova and in Ukraine through capacity assessments and technical assistance to the law-enforcement and border-police authorities. 4. The project’s geographic scope is the Western Balkans, with direct project beneficiaries being Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo ( * ) , Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia. In addition, for the goals referred to in paragraph 2, the project shall provide support to the Republic of Moldova and to Ukraine. 5. A detailed description of the project is set out in the Annex to this Decision.