Anna Maria Cisint, an MEP from the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group, has asked the European Commission what additional measures it plans to take against cross-border drug and firearms trafficking along the Balkan route, citing a recent Frontex risk analysis and a successful Italian police operation. The question, submitted on 9 July 2026, targets the growing operational capacity of criminal organisations that have consolidated their presence in drug-producing countries and are smuggling cocaine, heroin, and cannabis into the EU, while also fuelling violence through illegal firearms from Türkiye and the Western Balkans.
Cisint's written parliamentary question references the Frontex Annual Risk Analysis (ARA) for 2026/2027, which warns that criminal networks along the Western Balkans route are becoming more organised, sophisticated, and violent, often involved in migrant smuggling. She also points to a recent sting by the Milan District Anti-Mafia Directorate that dismantled a transnational organisation trafficking drugs and weapons along the route.
first, what additional measures—potentially involving Frontex and Europol, as well as enhanced cooperation with Western Balkan countries—are needed to tackle the trafficking; second, what tangible results Frontex operations have achieved against these networks, and how the agency could step up support to member state border and customs authorities in detecting drugs, firearms, and other illicit goods.
The question signals a push for stronger EU-level law enforcement coordination and operational support, particularly for frontline member states like Italy. It also implies a need for closer cooperation with non-EU Western Balkan countries and Türkiye, which are key transit and source regions. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will indicate the policy direction on combating organised crime along this critical route.
Stakeholders directly affected include EU border and customs authorities, who may receive enhanced Frontex support; law enforcement agencies in Western Balkan countries, who could face pressure to cooperate more closely; and criminal networks operating along the route, whose activities would be targeted by any new measures. The question also highlights the impact on Italian and other EU citizens affected by drug-related crime and firearms violence.