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Fighting Organised Crime
Organised crime is a rising threat across Europe. That’s the finding of a G4S sponsored report, the EU and the fight against organised crime, published in April by the Centre for European Reform (CER ).
It calls on the European Union to reinforce cross-border cooperation between police forces and judges to tackle more effectively the threat of international organised crime. Criminals, it asserts, often collaborate more effectively than EU members states because of the latter’s concerns over sovereignty, as well as cultural and legal differences, which constrain effective crossborder investigations.
European member states regard the EU as an important tool in their efforts to disrupt the worst organised crime and seize the financial assets of gangs. However, Europol – the European Union’s criminal intelligence agency – needs reform of its working practices before it can become properly effective, says the report.
And it reveals EU countries are struggling to live up to an ambitious commitment to free up information sharing between their police forces by 2008.
As well as examining the difficulties police and prosecutors encounter when working together on cross-border investigations it recommends how co-operation can be improved. The report argues that foreign policy has a key role to play: governments can stop crime from reaching the EU by working with the right countries and international organisations on coordinated crime prevention.
The report supports G4S’ view that the private sector will become an increasingly important partner in law enforcement and crime prevention. In particular, G4S believes that the private sector is well equipped to support governments by taking on some roles traditionally performed by the public sector, such as management of cash in society, major event security, the protection of critical infrastructure and an increased role in the provision of justice services.
New report argues that European Union foreign policy has key role to play Hans Bennetzen, G4S regional president, Northern & Western Europe, commented: “This report highlights that where EU cooperation has occurred between member states it has made a real difference in the fight against international crime, achieved not by a blanket harmonisation of regulations and criminal justice systems, but by boosting practical co-operation between law enforcement agencies at ground level. This cooperative approach is something that is fully supported in the private security industry.
“Europe’s criminal underworld is taking advantage of new opportunities to commit crimes that have resulted from the increasing mobility of people, goods and services across national boundaries.
Only a co-ordinated and proactive approach by member states and EU institutions to this issue will make Europe a safer place in which to live and do business.
“For our part, we in the private sector are prepared to take on an even greater role in the fight against organised crime.”
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Fighting organised crime
