Brussels, 05/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - Dutch MEP Emine Bozkurt (S&D) has called on member states to react strongly to the results of the Europol inquiry into European football (see EUROPE 10778) and to strengthen their investigations into this area. The European police cooperation agency told The Hague that it had uncovered close to 380 matches that had been fixed in Europe and 300 in the rest of the world, including Champions League matches and qualification matches for the World Cup. Europol also said that it suspected 425 people - referees, players and club managers - of being directly involved in this fixing. Bozkurt - who is responsible for these issues in the anti-mafia committee - says in a press release that she believes it is time for member states to recognise the existence of this type of organised crime on their ground and to set up offices of inquiry into match fixing where they are necessary. According to a European Parliament study, several member states, such as Italy and Portugal, have already written sporting fraud into their criminal law, and others into laws governing sport (like Greece and Poland) but, in still other member states, sporting fraud is not yet considered as an offence. Furthermore, another study has shown that 19 member states have already been involved in proceedings against match fixing. (SP/transl.fl)