The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union outlined the efforts underway to step up the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking to EU Justice Ministers at their Council meeting in Luxembourg on Friday 11 October.
During the press conference at the end of the day’s discussions, which he chaired, the Hungarian Minister of Justice, Bence Tuzson, stated that strengthening cross-border cooperation between Member States is a prerequisite for effectively countering the growing threats that are posed by organised crime and drug trafficking.
In his opinion, only close coordination at European level will make it possible to respond to the transnational nature of these criminal networks and ensure security within the Union.
Mr Tuzson also spoke of the benefits of extending this cooperation to partners outside the EU so that they could better combat international drug trafficking networks.
The European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, noted the central role of the EU Agency for Judicial Cooperation, Eurojust, in this fight. The President of Eurojust, Ladislav Hamran, was also present to contribute to the discussions.
Mr Reynders welcomed the creation of a new European judicial network dedicated to organised crime; since September it has brought together specialist prosecutors and judges to share their experiences and coordinate investigations (see EUROPE 13491/10).
According to our sources, Mr Hamran welcomed this increase in the Agency’s responsibilities, but called for more human and financial resources to meet them. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)