11.12.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 332/19 COUNCIL DECISION 2013/730/CFSP of 9 December 2013 in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South East Europe in the framework of the EU Strategy to Combat the Illicit Accumulation and Trafficking of SALW and their Ammunition THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, (3) At the 2012 Second Review Conference on the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects (hereinafter ‘UN Programme of Action’), which was adopted on 20 July 2001, all UN Member States reaffirmed their commitment to prevent illicit trafficking in SALW and encouraged measures to further enhance the effective role that regional and sub-regional organisations can play in implementing the UN Programme of Action and the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (hereinafter the ‘Inter- national Tracing Instrument). Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 26(2) and 31(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Whereas: (4) The South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for On 13 December 2003, the European Council adopted a European Security Strategy identifying five key challenges to be faced by the Union: terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts, State failure and organised crime. The consequences of the illicit manufacture, transfer and circulation of conven- tional weapons, including small arms and light weapons  (hereinafter ‘SALW’), and their excessive accumulation and uncontrolled spread are central to four of these five challenges. They fuel insecurity in South East Europe, its neighbouring regions and many other parts of the world, exacerbating conflict and under- mining post-conflict peace-building, thus posing a serious threat to peace and security. On 15 and 16 December 2005, the European Council adopted the EU Strategy to combat the illicit accumu- lation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition (hereinafter the ‘Strategy’), which sets the guidelines for Union action in the field of SALW. The Strategy identifies the Balkans and South-East Europe as regions particularly affected by the excessive accumulation and spread of SALW. It states that the Union will give priority attention to Central and Eastern Europe and underlines, with specific reference to the Balkans, that support for effective multilateralism as well as for relevant regional initiatives will provide an effective instrument for its implementation. It also specifically promotes the need to participate in the efforts to reduce surplus stocks of SALW left over in Eastern Europe from the Cold War. - -~ the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), established in 2002 in Belgrade and functioning under the joint mandate of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Regional Cooperation Council (successor to the Stability Pact for South- Eastern Europe) assists national and regional stakeholders to control and reduce the spread and misuse of SALW and ammunition, and thus contributes to enhanced stability, security and development in South-Eastern and Eastern Europe. SEESAC places particular emphasis on the development of regional projects to address the reality of cross-border flows of weapons. The Union previously supported SEESAC by Council Decision 2002/842/CFSP, extended and amended by  Council  Decisions  2003/807/CFSP (')  and 2004/791/CESP (?). Most recently, the Union supported SEESAC arms control activities through Council Decision 2010/179/CESP (¥). (!) Council Decision 2003/807/CESP of 17 November 2003 extending and amending Decision 2002/842/CFSP concerning the implemen- tation of Joint Action 2002/589/CFSP with a view to a European Union contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons in South East Europe (O] L 302, 20.11.2003, p. 39). Council Decision 2004/791/CFSP of 22 November 2004 extending and amending Decision 2002/842/CFSP implementing Joint Action 2002/589/CFSP with a view to a European Union’s contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons in South East Europe (O] L 348, 24.11.2004, p. 46). Council Decision 2010/179/CFSP of 11 March 2010 in support of SEESAC arms control activities in the Western Balkans, in the framework of the EU Strategy to combat the illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition (O] L 80, 26.3.2010, p. 48).