Good cops, bad mobs? EU policies to fight trans-national organised crime in the Western Balkans

When European Union leaders declared in June 1999 that the countries of the Western Balkans were all "potential" EU members, it seemed that the long road to future accession would soon be open to them. But the region is still plagued by the legacy of the past, including trans-national organised crime. This Issue Paper (pdf) from 2005 by Lucia Montanaro-Jankovski examines all the different facets of this problem, assesses the EU's response, and advocates a more comprehensive and coherent approach. Only this, it is argued, will enable the Union to tackle criminal networks at home and abroad effectively, while also improving the Western Balkan countries' 'image' – and, therefore, their chances of joining the EU in the future.