EU WILLING TO HELP SE EUROPE COMBAT CRIME

BRUSSELS, Feb 27 (Hina) - The European Union is willing to help countries in Southeast Europe participating in the Stabilisation and Association Process, Croatia included, in combating organised crime, but the brunt of responsibility lies with them, Europe's justice and interior ministers said in Brussels on Thursday. #L# In an open debate, they cautioned that organised crime in the western Balkans posed a danger to the Union as, for example, 80 percent of illegal drugs on the European market came from Afghanistan via the so-called western Balkan corridor. German Interior Minister Otto Schilly called for concrete action. Geoffrey Filkin, a representative of the British Home Office, said attention should be focused on four areas in which crime in Europe's south-east was most active -- trafficking in drugs and humans, money-laundering, and corruption. Greek Public Order Minister Michalih Chrisochoidis said combating crime was not enough and that it was necessary to eliminate the conditions breeding crime -- unemployment and economic underdevelopment. (hina) ha