The European ministers of justice met in Brussels on Friday 26 January for an informal meeting under the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council. The meeting was dominated by discussions on the fight against organised crime in Europe, similar to those held by their home affairs counterparts the previous day (see EUROPE 13336/1). Among the major proposals, the creation of a network of specialised magistrates and the strengthening of diplomatic cooperation with third countries were at the heart of the debates.
Paul Van Tigchelt, Belgium’s Federal Minister of Justice, stressed the urgency of the situation on his arrival at the Palais d’Egmont, the venue for the meeting. A former customs prosecutor at the port of Antwerp, he shared alarming data on the scale of the challenge facing Europe.
He stressed the crucial need for European cooperation to fight organised crime effectively, while advocating the strengthening of security measures in European ports.
The Austrian minister, Alma Zadić, and the German minister, Marco Buschmann, also expressed their concerns and recognised the need for coordinated European action. They emphasised the importance of working closely together, especially given the rise in organised crime linked to Dutch and Belgian ports.
Mr Van Tigchelt particularly stressed the importance of enhanced cooperation to avoid the phenomenon of communicating vessels in organised crime.
Although an anti-drugs coalition exists between six European countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain and Italy), and despite the importance of the European Ports Alliance for the harmonisation of port security (see EUROPE 13274/1) and Europol in identifying criminal networks in Europe, the Belgian minister called for a unification of European diplomatic efforts, both with regard to drug-producing countries and those that are havens for traffickers.
The Belgian minister also called for the creation of a European network of magistrates specialising in the fight against organised crime. He cited the example of the Sky ECC investigation, where collaboration between countries led to over 6,000 arrests abroad. This network would enable a rapid exchange of information and better coordination of investigations. Eurojust should play a key role in this network.
And Mr Van Tigchelt insisted at the end of the meeting that: “The fight against organised crime is an absolute priority. We need to act at different levels to protect our citizens. Impunity is not an option. We have to track down the criminals and bring them to justice, which is not an easy task, but with the power of the European Union, we could achieve better results”. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)