European prosecutors are taking action against organized crime networks

A new network of prosecutors across all EU Member States has been set up to ensure a coordinated and systematic cross-border approach to tackling organized crime networks.

The European Judicial Organized Crime Network (EJOCN) – based at the EU judicial cooperation organization Eurojust – aims to take the response to OCNs to a strategic level, rather than relying on “investigation-based cooperation”.

“Dangerous criminal groups active in drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, cybercrime and more will now face the full might of specialized prosecutors from all 27 EU member states,” Eurojust said in a statement.

The move is a response to the realization that around three quarters of active OCNs operate in at least two countries – sometimes even seven – and dissolving them requires a transnational approach.

Counterfeiting is a core activity for many OCNs, not least because the risks associated with this form of illicit trade are much lower than other activities such as drug trafficking. It is estimated that counterfeits account for up to 2.5 percent of total global trade – or $461 billion – and 5 percent of imports into the EU.

Eurojust said the EJOCN will focus on “horizontal issues” that arise when investigating and prosecuting high-risk criminal networks, allowing prosecutors to “address recurring legal challenges and identify new, practical opportunities for cooperation.”

The first is the fight against organized drug crime linked to European ports and other logistics centers, an activity carried out by around half of the OPCNs operating in the EU.

According to Eurojust, more than 70 percent of criminal networks operating in the EU use corrupt methods to facilitate criminal activities or obstruct law enforcement or judicial proceedings, while around 60 percent use violence as part of their criminal operations.