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Southeastern Europe Security Center

SESC

In a region marked with past conflicts and numerous current challenges, the Southeastern Europe Security Center (SESC) is working to promote the region’s cooperation and progress towards democratization, consolidation of institutions, economic structural reforms and development, regional strategic infrastructural connectivity, and integration into the European Union and NATO, leading to long lasting regional stability.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Preventing money laundering and terrorist financing – EU rules on public-private partnerships (PPPs)

26 Jul 2021

Combatting money laundering is, on our opinion, one of the main challenges the EU has to face without any further delay. Needless to say, but it is a very lucrative activity which is undermining the economy and the rule of law of many countries, especially of the Western Balkans. The public-private partnership initiative is a welcome one but more efforts should be dedicated towards the enforcing of policies that unroot the phenomenon at the widest extent possible, paying particular attention to candidate countries and third countries in order to prevent the strike back these funds might cause in the EU at later stages, causing a domino effect. Billions of euros are being currently laundered within the fragile economies of Western Balkans mainly in the construction, tourism, and health care sectors. The EU will have to face this reality sooner or latter. Either in terms of having to support the rebuilt of the economies (and states) of the WB, fight a powered organized crime, or, even more probable, both. As such, the PPP is an excellent initiative but it could and should be integrated into a larger programme which tackles the problem in its entirety.
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