ABSTRACT
Many of the obstacles impeding effective border security are common to all parts of South-east Europe. They include a lack of political will, a challenging terrain, lucrative smuggling routes, inadequate institutional capacity, corruption, and the low status of guards. Each country is unique, yet common patterns of functional development are identifiable, and many of the assumptions underpinning regional explanations and practices of border security are shared. Most border forces in the region face similar problems. They seem to share a defensive culture comparable to that of the public police. Schengen standards play a major role in the confidence-building that such cooperation would require. Developments in the Balkans support the notion that the management of today's security challenges requires the integration of international, regional, national, and sectoral groups.
