2001/427/JHA: Council Decision of 28 May 2001 setting up a European crime prevention network
Date: 2001-05-28
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU Member State, cooperation policy, fight against crime, prevention of delinquency, trans-European network

8.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 153/1

(Acts adopted pursuant to Title VI of the Treaty on European Union)

COUNCIL DECISION

of 28 May 2001

setting up a European crime prevention network

(2001/427/JHA)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union and in partic-
ular Articles 30(1), 31 and 34(2)(c) thereof,

Having regard to the initiative of the French Republic and the
Kingdom of Sweden,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

The European Parliament adopted a Resolution on 16
December 1993 on small-scale crime in urban areas and
its links with organised crime (1) and a Resolution on 17
November 1998 on guidelines and measures for the
prevention of organised crime with reference to the
establishment
for
combating it (2).

comprehensive

strategy

of

a

Article 29 of the Treaty states that the objective of the
Union in this area is to be achieved by preventing and
combating crime, organised or otherwise.

The Vienna Action Plan called for crime prevention
measures to be drawn up in the five years following the
entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam.

The Tampere European Council of 15 and 16 October
1999 concluded that there was a need to develop crime
prevention measures, to exchange best practices and to
strengthen the network of competent national authori-
ties for crime prevention, as well as cooperation between
national organisations specialising in this field, speci-
fying that this cooperation could have as its chief priori-
ties juvenile, urban and drug-related crime. To this end,
a study of the possibility of a programme financed by
the Community was called for.

The European Union Strategy for the beginning of the
new millennium on the prevention and control of orga-
nised crime (3) calls in Recommendation 6 for
the
Council to be assisted by suitably qualified experts on
crime prevention, such as the national focal points, or

(6)

(7)

(8)

by establishing a network of experts from national crime
prevention organisations.

seminars and conferences on crime
Several major
prevention, most notably those held in Stockholm in
1996, in Noordwijk in 1997, in London in 1998 and in
the Algarve in 2000 called for the establishment of a
network within the European Union to develop coopera-
tion on crime prevention. The High Level Conference in
the Algarve also highlighted the need for a multidisci-
plinary, joint approach to crime prevention. The confer-
ence in Zaragoza in 1996 also pointed to this need in
highlighting the strong links between organised crime
and crime in general.

Society as a whole must be involved in the development
local and regional
of a partnership between national,
public authorities, non-governmental organisations, the
private sector and citizens. The causes of crime are
multiple and must therefore be dealt with by measures
at different
in
partnership with the players involved who have different
powers and experience,

levels, by different groups in society,

including civil society.

Since the majority of the crimes of which citizens of the
European Union are victims are committed in urban
areas, urban policies must also be taken into considera-
tion. In so doing, emphasis should be given to any kind
of urban violence that affects the normal functioning of
the community,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

A European Crime Prevention Network, hereinafter

1.
referred to as ‘the Network’

is hereby set up.

(1) OJ C 20, 24.1.1994, p. 188.
(2) OJ C 379, 7.12.1998, p. 44.
(3) OJ C 124, 3.5.2000, p. 1.

2.
Network national representatives and a Secretariat shall
ensure the proper functioning of the Network in accordance
with this Decision.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Crime prevention covers all measures that are intended to
3.
reduce or otherwise contribute to reducing crime and citizens'
feeling of insecurity, both quantitatively and qualitatively, either
through directly deterring criminal activities or through policies
and interventions designed to reduce the potential for crime
It includes work by government,
and the causes of crime.
competent authorities, criminal justice agencies, local authori-
ties, and the specialist associations they have set up in Europe,
the private and voluntary sectors, researchers and the public,
supported by the media.

Article 2

The Network shall consist of contact points designated by

1.
each Member State.

(b) collect and analyse information on existing crime preven-
tion activities, the evaluation thereof and the analysis of
best practices, and collect and analyse existing data on
criminality and on its development in the Member States,
in order to contribute to consideration of future national
and European decisions. The Network shall also assist the
Council and the Member States with questionnaires on
crime and crime prevention;

(c) contribute to identifying and developing the main areas for
research, training and evaluation in the crime prevention
field;

(d) organise conferences, seminars, meetings and other activi-
ties designed to promote consideration of these specific
matters, and to disseminate the results thereof;

(e) organise activities that stimulate and improve the exchange

of experiences and best practices;

Each Member State shall designate not more than three

2.
contact points.

(f) develop cooperation with applicant countries, third coun-

tries and international organisations and bodies;

These contact points shall

3.
include at least one repres-
entative from the national authorities competent for crime
prevention in its many aspects.

4.
Researchers or academics specialising in this field, as well
as other actors in crime prevention, may be designated as
contact points. In all instances Member States should ensure
that researchers or academics, as well as other actors in crime
prevention, such as non-governmental organisations,
local
authorities and the private sector, are involved through the
appointed contact points.

5.
The Commission shall also designate a contact point.
Europol and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs
(EMCDDA) are associated with the work in matters with which
they are concerned. Other relevant bodies may be associated
with the work.

Each Member State shall ensure that its contact points
6.
have sufficient knowledge of at least one other official language
of the Union to enable them to communicate with the contact
points in the other Member States.

Article 3

The Network shall contribute to developing the various
1.
aspects of crime prevention at Union level and shall support
crime prevention activities at local and national level. Although
covering all types of criminality, the Network shall pay partic-
ular attention to the fields of juvenile, urban and drug-related
crime.

2.

In particular, the Network shall:

(a) facilitate cooperation, contacts and exchanges of informa-
tion and experience between Member States and between
national organisations, as well as between Member States
and the Commission, other constituent entities of
the
Council and other groups of experts and networks specia-
lising in crime prevention matters;

(g) provide its expertise to the Council and to the Commission,
where necessary and upon request, with a view to assisting
them in all matters concerning crime prevention;

(h) report to the Council on its activities each year, through
the competent working bodies, and indicate the areas for
priority action in its work programme for the following
year. The Council shall take note of and endorse the report
and forward it to the European Parliament.

Article 4

To accomplish its tasks, the Network shall:

(a) favour a multidisciplinary approach;

(b) be in close contact, through the contact points, with crime
prevention bodies, local authorities, local partnerships and
civil society as well as with research institutions and non-
governmental organisations in the Member States;

(c) set up and operate a website, containing its regular reports
and any other useful information, particularly a compen-
dium of best practices;

(d) endeavour to use and promote the results of projects,
funded through Union

for crime prevention,

relevant
programmes.

Article 5

The Network shall hold its first meeting on 28 August

1.
2001.

2.
The Network shall meet at least once every six months on
the invitation of the Presidency of the Council at that time.

In conjunction with meetings of

3.
the
Network National representatives, made up of one repres-
entative from each Member State designated in accordance
with Article 2(3), shall meet to decide on the matters referred
to under Article 5(4).

the Network,

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The Network national representatives shall decide on the
4.
Network's annual programme including a financial plan. They
shall,

in particular, determine:

— the priority fields to be examined;
— the main specific actions to be carried out (seminars and
conferences, studies and research, training programmes …);

— the structure of the web site.

They shall also draw up the annual report on the activities of
the Network.

The decisions of the Network national representatives shall be
adopted by unanimity.

The Network national representatives' meeting shall be chaired
by the representative of the Member State which is holding the
Presidency of the Council at the time.

They shall meet at least once during each Presidency. They
shall draw up their Rules of Procedure, to be adopted by
unanimity.

The Secretariat for the Network shall be provided by the

5.
Commission.

The Network Secretariat and its activities

6.
financed from the general budget of the European Union.

shall be

The Secretariat shall be responsible for drafting the
7.
Network's annual programme and the annual report on the
Network's activities. It shall carry out everyday Network activi-
ties involving collating, analysing and disseminating informa-
tion in liaison with the national contact points. It shall assist
formulating and imple-
the Network members in devising,
menting projects. It shall establish and maintain the website of
the Network. When performing its functions, the Secretariat
shall work closely together with the Network National repre-
sentatives.

Article 6

The Council shall evaluate the activities of the Network in the
three years following the adoption of this Decision.

This Decision shall take effect on the day of its adoption.

Article 7

Done at Brussels, 28 May 2001.

For the Council

The President

T. BODSTRÖM