Europol believes that the Western Balkan region is an especially sensitive one for the EU when it comes to organised crime, and it has therefore formed a special unit for this part of Europe, Europol Operations Department Assistant Director Laszlo Salgo stated.

Europol has assessed that this region is a very sensitive one for the EU, because it comprises countries which serve as a starting point or transit area for various criminal phenomena, Salgo said on the margins of a meeting on the fight against organised crime and corruption in the Balkan region.

This is why Europol has constituted a new unit which will counter crime coming from South East Europe, Salgo said and added that Europol would like to establish an analytical unit in the future that would gather intelligence data from the region.

The official said that Europol has at the same time recorded great efforts of the countries in this region to meet European standards in the court system and in general practice, which led to considerable improvements in the cooperation between the EU and the police of the Western Balkan countries over the last few years.

Salgo especially underscored the importance of the signing of the agreement on cooperation between Europol and all Western Balkan countries.