Law enforcement authorities from EU member states work together to combat serious and organised crime in Europe.
How the EU fights serious and organised crime
Organised crime is a major threat to European citizens, business and institutions, as well as to the European economy. In 2019, criminal revenues in the main criminal markets amounted to 1 % of the EU’s GDP, i.e. €139 billion.
Crime groups are present in all EU countries and often operate across borders. 70 % of criminal groups are, in fact, active in more than three member states.
The top criminal activities in Europe are drugs trafficking, cybercrime, excise fraud, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings .
In May 2021, the EU adopted its priorities for the fight against serious and organised crime for the next four years. The priorities will be implemented between 2022 and 2025 within the ‘European multi-disciplinary platform against criminal threats’ (EMPACT).
In February 2021, EU countries decided to make EMPACT a permanent instrument in the fight against serious and organised crime. Within the EMPACT framework, EU member states, agencies and other partners work closely together to address key criminal threats through joint operational actions designed to dismantle criminal networks, their structures and business models.
Results of the EU’s fight against crime
Between 2018 and 2021, EMPACT led to significant results, including:
- more than 171 tonnes of drugs seized
- 31 584 people arrested
- 167 452 tonnes of waste seized
- 16 607 firearms and weapons seized
- 17 688 potential victims of human trafficking identified
Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine
Conflicts create opportunities for organised crime to flourish, and amplify the threat that criminal groups may pose to internal security. Crimes in conflict situations may include:
- human trafficking
- online fraud
- cyber-attacks
- misappropriation of funds destined to support refugees
- arms trafficking
On 28 March 2022, EU home affairs ministers supported the mobilisation of the EU platform for fighting organised and serious crime (EMPACT) to help EU member states tackle criminal networks and individuals who are exploiting the war in Ukraine. Some emergency actions were introduced in the EU crime priorities, such as trafficking in human being, criminal finance, money laundering and asset recovery, new psychoactive substances and synthetic drugs and high risk criminal networks.
EU crime priorities for 2022-2025
The 10 EU crime priorities adopted by the Council are based on the recommendations identified in the ‘EU serious and organised crime threat assessment’ (EU SOCTA), prepared by Europol and take into account other strategic papers, assessments and policies.
- High risk criminal networks
43 % of the organised crime groups in the EU are structured around a core group, 40 % are hierarchically structured and 17 % are loose networks.
It is therefore crucial to scale up the dismantling of organised crime structures and to target both those groups that pose a higher risk to Europe’s security as well as the individuals in the higher hierarchies of criminal organisations.
The EU’s work to tackle high risk criminal networks focuses especially on the groups using:
- corruption
- acts of violence
- firearms
- money laundering
- Cyberattacks
Cybercrimes are typically directed at computers, networks or other forms of information communication technology (ICT). They include, for instance, the creation and spread of malware, hacking to steal sensitive data and the denial of service attacks (DoS) designed to cause financial and/or reputational damage.
Cyberattacks and cybercrime are increasing in number and sophistication across Europe. This trend is set to grow further in the future, given that 22.3 billion devices worldwide are expected to be linked to the Internet of Things by 2024.
The EU intends to strengthen its measures against cybercrime, in particular by targeting cybercriminals offering specialised criminal services online.
- Trafficking in human beings
Human trafficking is a serious crime that violates people’s fundamental rights. It involves the criminal exploitation of vulnerable people for the sole purpose of economic gain.
Sexual exploitation is the most prevalent form of trafficking in the EU (60%), followed by labour exploitation (15%), forced criminality, domestic servitude and forced begging.
The EU has taken several actions to prevent human trafficking, punish criminals and protect the victims. The main EU legal instrument in this context is the 2011 anti-trafficking directive.
In 2021, the European Commission adopted a four-year strategy on combating trafficking in human beings. The strategy focuses on:
- reducing the demand that fosters trafficking in the first place
- breaking the business model of traffickers
- protecting, supporting and empowering victims
- increasing international cooperation
The EU’s work to combat human trafficking
Every year, thousands of people are identified as victims of human trafficking in the EU. The EU and its member states have taken many measures to fight this heinous crime and are stepping up their efforts.
In 2021 alone, 3 108 criminals were arrested and €35 million were seized thanks to EU action.
- Child sexual exploitation
The number of incidents involving online child abuse and exploitation has steadily increased in recent years, and has further intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, worldwide:
- 85 million pictures and videos depicting child sexual abuse were reported
- 64% more child sexual abuse cases were reported than in 2020
Fast-paced technological innovation and the widespread and increasing accessibility of digital technologies increase opportunities for criminals to abuse and exploit children. This type of crime is highly underreported, and unfortunately many victims remain unidentified.
The main EU legal instrument in this area is the 2011 directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography.
On 11 May 2022, the European Commission proposed new rules to tackle online child sexual abuse. The proposal is currently under discussion at the Council.
- Migrant smuggling
Migrant smuggling is a global crime that exposes migrants to life-threatening risks. The migration crisis that unfolded in 2015 has had a profound impact on Europe’s criminal landscape, with criminal networks substantially increasing their involvement in migrant smuggling.
Over 90 % of migrants pay smugglers to try to reach Europe. This is a highly lucrative business for criminal networks and entails a low risk of being caught. It is estimated that migrant smuggling generated a €3-6 billion turnover in 2015 globally, and over €200 million in 2019 in the maritime routes leading to the European Union.
The EU has taken decisive actions to fight criminal networks which exploit vulnerable migrants and intends to do more, in particular to target criminals providing facilitation services along the main migratory routes.
- Drug trafficking
38 % of all criminal activities in the EU are connected to drug trafficking. The illicit drugs market is, in fact, one of the major sources of income for organised crime groups in the European Union, and represents an estimated yearly retail value of at least €30 billion.
European drug markets are characterised by:
- a high availability of various types of drug
- ever larger seizures
- the increasing use of violence and huge profits
- the use of technologies to facilitate illicit trafficking
Such developments have increased during the COVID-19 crisis.
The EU’s main objective in this field is to identify and target the criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, including the trafficking and distribution of cannabis, cocaine, heroin, synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances.
- Fraud, economic and financial crimes
Fraud schemes targeting private citizens, enterprises and critical infrastructure are present across the EU.
Fraudsters have used the COVID-19 pandemic to take advantage of and profit from the insecurity and growing demand for certain products resulting from the crisis. Economic crime areas of specific interest to EU joint investigation teams include:
- online fraud schemes
- excise fraud
- missing trader intra-Community fraud (MTIC fraud)
- intellectual property crime
- counterfeiting of goods and currencies
- criminal finances
- money laundering
- Organised property crime
Organised property crime is the most visible type of organised crime and has a direct impact on people and organisations. More than one million cases related to burglary are reported every year in the EU.
In 2020, the number of domestic burglaries and common thefts generally declined owing to the fact that COVID-19 restrictions kept people more at home.
The EU seeks to disrupt criminal networks involved in organised property crime, with particular focus on:
- organised burglaries
- theft and robberies
- motor vehicle crime
- illegal trade in cultural goods
- Environmental crime
Environmental crime is one of the world’s most profitable organised criminal activities, and has a major impact not only on the environment, but also on human health.
Environmental crime offences include:
- improper collection, transport, recovery or disposal of waste
- illegal emission or discharge of substances into the atmosphere, water or soil
- the killing, destruction, possession of or trade in protected wild animal or plant species
- illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances
The EU has taken action to combat criminal networks involved in all forms of environmental crime, including by introducing rules on waste management and on trade in wildlife and plants. The EU is also strengthening the existing rules on the protection of the environment through criminal law.
EU countries intend to do more, in particular by targeting crime groups with a capability to infiltrate legal business structures or set up their own companies to facilitate their crimes.
- Firearms trafficking
Criminals often rely on the availability of weapons to carry out their activities. However, the market for firearms in the EU remains modest in size. Between 2019 and 2020, EU law enforcement authorities seized more than 11 000 firearms and weapons.
For several years, the EU and its member states have coordinated several activities to counter firearms trafficking, but new threats have emerged that demand new actions.
The EU intends therefore to do more to target criminals involved in the trafficking, distribution and use of firearms.
In July 2021, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), created a handbook on firearms to help national border guard and customs authorities to fight arms-related crime.
How criminals have exploited the COVID-19 crisis
Criminals have quickly adapted their techniques to exploit the uncertainty around the COVID-19 crisis. Among the most common crimes during the pandemic:
- cyberattacks against health organisations and teleworking infrastructures
- phishing, ransomware and malware campaigns
- online and offline distribution of counterfeit and substandard personal protective equipment, pharmaceutical and sanitary products
- thefts by deception, using the ‘grandchild’ or ‘nephew trick’
- looting of medical facilities and pharmacies
In 2020, Europol coordinated operation Shield, a global effort to target the trafficking of counterfeit and misused medicines and doping substances. During the operation, law enforcement officers dismantled 25 criminal groups, arrested nearly 700 suspects and seized medicines and doping substances worth €73 million.
What is EMPACT?
EMPACT is a multidisciplinary, intelligence-led and evidence-based EU initiative which aims to tackle the main crime threats that the EU is facing. It is driven by the member states and involves the cooperation of a large number of agencies and partners, including:
- law enforcement agencies
- EU institutions, agencies and bodies
- public and private organisations
- relevant non-EU countries
This initiative includes both preventive and repressive measures as well as operational and strategic actions.
EMPACT was first implemented between 2012-2013. This was followed by two fully-fledged 4 year cycles in 2014-2017 and 2018-2021. In March 2021, the Council adopted conclusions on the permanent continuation of EMPACT as a key instrument for operational cooperation to fight organised and serious international crime.
EMPACT will continue to follow four-year cycles which start with the assessment of criminal threats and the adoption of the EU crime priorities. For each of these priorities, annual operational action plans are then developed, implemented and monitored. At the end of the 4 year cycle an independent evaluation is carried out to assess its implementation and outcome and to feed into the next cycle.
Mutual evaluations
The mutual evaluation mechanism in the fight against organised crime was introduced in 1997, following a joint action adopted by the Council.
Mutual evaluations are peer evaluations where member states assess each other on the implementation of EU and international legislation and instruments to combat crime. The evaluations are based on the principles of equality and mutual trust.
The mechanism aims to:
- find practical solutions to fight organised crime in the EU
- improve European judicial cooperation
- share best practices between member states
The Council coordinates the evaluation process and prepares reports, including conclusions and recommendations.