WRITTEN QUESTION P-2488/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 September 2001)

Subject: Proliferation of crime in the Member States

Data published by centres for criminological studies, reports by police authorities, international organisations and the media point to a sharp rise in crime in many Member States of the Union, ranging from organised crime and trafficking in human beings and drugs to youth crime. Police reports for the period 1998-2000 are mainly concerned with cross-border crime (between Member States and with eastern European countries), while the problem is exacerbated by a lack of adequate specialist police forces and competent officials in terms of both quantity and quality.

There is a direct link between these issues and public safety and quality of life in Europe. Politicians and the authorities are also confused over which methods would be effective against such crime without infringing civil rights.

The European Union has developed various policies and measures to combat crime, such as the STOP, FALCONE, OISIN, ODYSSEUS and GROTIUS programmes. Recently, the European Network for Crime Prevention convened for the first time and the Council adopted the two-year Hippocrates Programme.

Is the Commission satisfied with the results of those programmes? Does it intend to publish detailed and reliable information on indicators of crime in the Member States? What additional measures will it propose to tackle such criminal activities effectively?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(11 October 2001)

The aim of the programmes implemented under Title VI of the European Union Treaty (Oisin II, Stop II, Grotius II, Falcone and Hipprokrates) is to facilitate cooperation between the Member States in the fight against crime at Union level. This calls for financial instruments to supplement the Member States' national policies and instruments. Direct contact, indispensable in this field, serves to exchange experiences and supports the development of projects whose European dimension contribute to the creation of a common culture and a common area of freedom, security and justice.

In the absence of European crime indicators, it is difficult to gauge the direct impact of crime reduction programmes. However, with the services of over 5000 professionals provided by the authorities concerned or outside players (non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and universities), the projects co-financed (exchanges, seminars, joint projects, implementation of the instruments adopted at Union level, etc ) create links for easier day-to-day cooperation. This was borne out by the evaluation of the effectiveness of these programmes in terms of their objectives in 2000.

A single programme combining all Title VI programmes is currently being finalised. The aim is to make it easier to manage them and to make them more efficient instruments in developing judicial and police cooperation in the Union. It is also planned to increase their resources.

It should be emphasised that the programmes are not the only instruments promoting European cooperation in the fight against crime, which needs to be planned and carried out within the more general framework of the Scoreboard on the implementation of an area of freedom, security and justice.