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SALW Assessment for Bulgaria


Over the last two decades an important place among democratic reforms takes the effort to introduce an efficient and transparent control mechanism over fire arms export. It is known, that during the second half of the twentieth century Bulgaria had a serious presence on arms markets in “third-world” countries, and weapons produced in Bulgaria harmed democracies in a number of Near East countries, as well as some hot spots of armed conflicts. Political changes in the country after 1989 and the introduction of a new control mechanism laid the foundations for prohibiting the export and use of Bulgarian weapons in conflict areas. This topic is the subject of the study entitled Weapons under Scrutiny, which is an analysis of the regulative framework and practices in this field. The drawn conclusion emphasizes the necessity to apply more strictly the arms export control mechanism adopted in 2002.

Reports

Taming the Arsenal: Small Arms and Light Weapons in Bulgaria
The report summarizes the findings of a research conducted on questions relating to small arms and light weapons in Bulgaria from July to November 2004 by the CSD, and London-based Saferworld.



"The rifle has the devil inside", Gun Culture in South Eastern Europe
This report examines how cultural beliefs and practices influence gun ownership and use in SEE, and how these might affect SALW control interventions. It was initially researched by the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), Bulgaria during Autumn 2005 and Spring 2006.


Weapons under Scrutiny
The report concludes that despite the evolution of Bulgaria’s arms export controls and its relatively clean record, compared to most of the 1990s, there is still room for improvement. The best approach to tackling all the issues raised in this report is through stricter implementation of the new export control mechanism adopted in 2002.

Launch of the report Small Arms and Light Weapons and Private Security Companies in South Eastern Europe: A Cause or Effect of Insecurity? - September 14, 2005

First issue of the quarterly bulletin Control on Arms Trade issued (Download in Bulgarian, PDF, 99 kb)- July, 2005



Events

International seminar: Export Control of Dual-Use Items and Arms: Industry Outreach – 22-23 May 2006

Training seminar: Customs Control of Shipments of Dual-Use Goods and Technologies in the Western Balkans – 5-6 October 2005

Small Arms and Light Weapons in Bulgaria – 30 March 2005

CSD became an associated member of SEENCA and joined a resolution on the adoption of the ATT - November, 2005

COST A25 Meeting in Sofia: Taking Advantages of Partial Transparency - 5-6 October, 2005, Sofia

Training seminar: Customs Control of Shipments of Dual-Use Goods and Technologies in the Western Balkans - 5-6 October, 2005, Sofia

CSD Represented at the Second Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the UN SALW Programme of Action - July 11-15, 2005

Regional Seminar: Towards NATO and EU Accession: Effective Export Control Legislation - Lessons Learned, June 21-22, 2005


Discussion: Small Arms and Light Weapons in Bulgaria - March 30, 2005







Discussion: Small Arms Proliferation and Organized Crime in Bulgaria - April 5, 2004



Workshop: A Bulgarian National Program to Implement Arms Export Controls and Combat Small Arms Proliferation - May 14, 2003

Discussion: Export Control on Small Arms and Light Weapons in Bulgaria - March 28, 2003


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