Our goal

Prevention and combatting of serious and organised crime in line with international and European human rights standards.

Rationale for the support

Serious and organised crime remains a key threat to the safety of people living in Europe. It undermines communities, causes substantial financial damage, and weakens the rule of law. Organised crime groups are often simultaneously involved in several criminal activities. Corruption remains a challenge for many countries, undermining central principles of the rule of law and trust in public institutions.

States have an obligation to prevent and combat hate crime, ensuring that all citizens enjoy the same human rights, and that society as a whole is protected. Law enforcement agencies must therefore proactively take measures to effectively prevent and combat hate crime and to ensure justice for all victims.

Another serious crime that has particularly harmful impacts on fundamental rights, individuals, communities, and society at large is domestic and gender-based violence. In extreme cases, it leads to loss of life. Gender-based violence remains widespread in Europe.

Criminal proceedings are often not designed for children. Barnahus is a multi-disciplinary and interagency model developed to ensure that child victims of violence and sexual exploitation and abuse are not subjected to unnecessary stress in connection with examinations by law enforcement agencies. The Barnahus model also ensures that the children receive proper and coordinated support.
 

Areas of support

  • Prevent and combat selected forms of serious and organised crime, such as illegal drugs, environmental crimes, cybercrimes, trafficking in human beings, migrant smuggling, sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
  • Methods and tools for investigation of serious and organised crime, including digital competence and capacity.
  • Address economic crimes, including corruption and money laundering.
  • Prevent and combat hate crimes as defined by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
  • Prevent and combat domestic and gender-based violence.
  • Child-friendly justice and Barnahus cooperation, based on the model defined by the Barnahus Network.

How the objective will be addressed

Serious and organised crimes are often transnational, requiring close cooperation between law enforcement agencies in different countries to enable effective investigation and prosecution, including recovery of criminal assets. This includes enhancing digital forensics and financial investigations capacities to prevent illicit financial flows.

Collecting evidence via policing methods and digital and technological tools is an integral part of criminal investigations. It can take many forms, such as (digital) forensic examinations and interviews of victims, perpetrators, and witnesses. Strengthening the digital capacity can also contribute to enhanced detection and prevention of organised crime.

Common and high-quality examinations and methodologies will increase the mutual trust in the evidence shared between countries, facilitating the use of one country’s evidence in another country’s courts.

Capacity-building activities in the investigative process help to uphold the rule of law and respect for human rights. Cooperation with international organisations supports law enforcement agencies in performing their duties in line with human rights and international standards. Cooperation with civil society organisations supports the efforts of the police to protect and serve the public, especially related to the prevention of crime.

Gender-sensitive and child-centred responses related to prevention and investigation, and a victim-centred approach to prosecution, allow for biases in institutions and structures to be countered. It is also important to increase the reporting of hate crimes and domestic and gender-based violence to the police.

Key actors and beneficiaries

Public entities at national and local levels are the main stakeholders. These include police and prosecution, courts, law enforcement agencies outside the police, and other relevant state actors.

International organisations and civil society organisations are valued partners that bring experience and expertise.

The end beneficiaries are victims of serious and organised crime, communities, and persons in vulnerable situations.