Co-operation Group of South East European Airports (CGSEEA)

At the 29th annual meeting of the Pompidou Group's 'Cooperation Group of Drug Control Services at European Airports' (Airports Group) in Strasbourg in 2014, Croatia introduced the discussion on developing regional activities tailored to the specific needs and contexts of South-East European (SEE) airports. The proposal received widespread support, leading to the creation of the ‘Cooperation Group of South-East European Airports’ (CGSEEA) within the permanent ‘Drug Policy Cooperation in South-East Europe’ framework. The CGSEEA’s objective is to strengthen regional collaboration in tackling drug trafficking and to address the unique challenges faced by the region. Police and customs officers from 13 countries* and Kosovo**, participate in the CGSEEA's annual meetings, with additional technical meetings arranged as necessary to support joint operations of the law enforcement agencies involved.

* Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Türkiye.

** All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

2014

29th annual meeting of the Group of Drug Control Services at European Airports (Airports Group) in Strasbourg, France

2015

2015 - Inaugural meeting in Zagreb (Croatia) and adoption of the Joint Declaration

First annual meeting of the CGSEEA in Zagreb, Croatia (27-28 April 2015)

Zagreb Joint Declaration (28 April 2015)

First technical meeting of the CGSEEA in Zagreb, Croatia (10-11 November 2015)

2016

2^ndannual meeting of the CGSEEA in Athens, Greece (17-18 May 2016)

2017

3^rd annual meeting of the CGSEEA in Podgorica, Montenegro (20-21 April 2017)

2^nd meeting to prepare first joint Operation ‘D’ I in Podgorica, Montenegro (20-21 April 2017)

1^st joint Operation ‘D’ coordinated by Croatia (3-23 September 2017)

2018

4^th annual meeting of the CGSEEA in Skopje, North Macedonia (24-25 October 2018)

3^rd technical meeting to discuss operation ‘D’ I and prepare operation ‘D’ II in Skopje, North Macedonia (24-25 October 2018)

2019

2^nd joint operation ‘D’ II coordinated by Greece (25 March – 14 April 2019)

5^th annual meeting of the CGSEEA in Budapest, Hungary (28-29 May 2019)

4^th technical meeting to discuss operation ‘D’ II and prepare operation ‘D’ III in Budapest, Hungary (28-29 May 2019)

2020

3^rd joint operation ‘D’ III coordinated by North Macedonia (14 September – 5 October 2020)

6^th annual meeting on the CGSEEA online (12-13 November 2020)

5^th technical meeting to discuss operation ‘D’ III and prepare operation ‘D’ IV online (12-13 November 2020)

2021

4^th joint operation operation ‘D’ IV coordinated by Hungary (15 September – 1 October 2021)

7^th annual meeting of the CGSEEA in Larnaca, Cyprus (13-14 October 2021)

6^th technical meeting to discuss operation ‘D’ IV and prepare operation ‘D’ V in Larnaca, Cyprus (13-14 October 2021

2022

5^th joint operation ‘D’ V coordinated by Cyprus (1-16 July 2022)

8^th annual meeting of the CGSEEA in Ljubljana, Slovenia (4-5 October 2022)

7^th technical meeting to discuss operation ‘D’ V and prepare operation ‘D’ VI in Ljubljana, Slovenia (4-5 October 2022)

Assessment Report and Recommendations CGSEEA (2015-2022) – Independent expert

2023

6^th joint operation operation ‘D’ VI coordinated by Bulgaria (29 September-13 October 2023)

9^th annual meeting of the CGSEEA in Zagreb, Croatia (18-19 October 2023)

8^th technical meeting to discuss operation ‘D’ VI and prepare operation ‘D’ VII in Zagreb, Croatia (18-19 October 2023)

Decision on creation of a template for monthly reporting on drug-related seizures to facilitate information exchange within the group.

2024

10^th annual meeting of the CGSEEA in Sofia, Bulgaria (9-10 October 2024)

7^th joint operation ‘D’ VII coordinated by Croatia (9– 27 September 2024)

9^th technical meeting to discuss operation ‘D’ VII and prepare operation ‘D’ VIII in Sofia, Bulgaria (9-10 October 2024)

Monthly reporting on drug-related seizures was initiated, using a standardised template. First seizures report: May 2024.

10 years of co-operation of the South East European Airports

High-Level Seminar on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the group and the request of the member countries to raise the visibility of the group among the central customs and police administrations.

In the Joint Declaration adopted at the High-Level Seminar, participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to continue and further enhance co-operation through exchanging practical knowledge, conducting joint operations, and streamlining drug detection methods at South-East European airports.

Pompidou Group