UN on Balkans

Those crimes – including homicide, robbery, burglary, assault and rape – are at reported levels that are far lower in the Balkan countries than in the countries of Western Europe.

“Surprising as it may be, the Balkan region is one of the safest in Europe,” the report concluded. “The Balkans is departing from an era when demagogues, secret police and thugs profited from sanctions-busting and the smuggling of people, arms, cigarettes and drugs.”

The survey, ‘Crime and its impact on the Balkans,’ covered nine countries on the Balkan peninsula – Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro and Serbia.

But while crime against people and property is down from the 1990s, the report warned that not all is rosy in the region. It serves as the main heroin transit zone for Western Europe, and bribery is rampant. About 100 tons of heroin are estimated to pass through the region each year, said Mr. Costa, and the report noted that residents of what is now called south-eastern Europe are more likely to face demands for bribes than are people living in other parts of the world. Mr. Costa also noted that Albania remains the “soft underbelly” of the Balkans for organized crime rings.

The report called on governments to end links between business, crime gangs and politicians. Mr. Costa also called on the international community, particularly the European Union, to support anti-crime and pro-instability measures in the region.

“The highest priority is, of course, Kosovo, where stabilization started later, and where crime remains a problem,” he said.