The EU Crime Fighting Week (CFW) took place from 10-14 June 2024, bringing together over 250 participants, including EU institutions, international partners, and EU-funded projects, to tackle transregional organised crime. The event, which gathered all the Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP) actions featured 16 panels with almost 100 speakers and moderators, covering a broad range of issues from environmental crime to the diversion of firearms from conflict zones, and from promoting women in law enforcement to the role of technology. MASIF supported the organisation and coordination of the event, a joint effort between different EC services including DGs INTPA, NEAR and HOME, led by FPI.
Maria Rosa Sabbatelli, Head of Unit dealing with global and trans-regional threats at the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, emphasised, “International cooperation is essential to counter organised crime. The Crime Fighting Week is a great opportunity to bring together diverse stakeholders from across the globe to connect, share knowledge and strengthen our cooperation to tackle the huge challenges that organised crime poses to our societies.”
The week saw the participation of distinguished figures such as H.E. Kgalema Motlanthe, Former President of South Africa, and H.E. Joaquim Chissano, Former President of Mozambique, who highlighted the role of political leadership in addressing drug trafficking in Africa through the East and Southern African Commission on Drugs (ESACD).
Focusing on environmental crime, Simone Haysom team lead of ECO-SOLVE, emphasised the importance of a comprehensive societal approaches to combat environmental crimes. This session underscored collaborative efforts to tackle these crimes effectively, setting a tone of cooperation for the week.
A session on international law enforcement operations highlighted successful operations undertaken by GIFP components, SEACOP, COLIBRI and DISRUPT. Dominique Bucas, leading SEACOP, presented Operation Caribe/Remora, showcasing the project’s role in enhancing maritime security and countering drug trafficking. Sylvain Raymond, COLIBRI team leader, discussed Operation Rutilant and its focus on illicit trafficking via General Aviation. Lastly, Joaquim Rodrigues, representing DISRUPT, presented the accomplishments of the INTERPOL led TRIGGER VIII Operation which took place throughout Africa and targeted firearms trafficking. These presentations illustrated the practical impacts of coordinated law enforcement efforts.
During the dedicated drugs day, led by DG HOME, the session “Looking Beyond Borders: A Comprehensive Look at the Global Drug Trade” featured Eric Pelser from ENACT, who provided insights into drug trafficking threats in Africa. This session underscored the interconnected nature of global drug trafficking and the necessity for a unified international response. Whereas Dominique Bucas of SEACOP intervened again during the session “Bridging the Gaps: Strategies for Addressing Drug Trafficking in the EU” focusing on combating maritime trafficking and ongoing efforts to disrupt criminal networks operating on the high seas, emphasising the importance of strategic alliances.
EU-ACT II brought in partners from Iraq and Tajikistan to share their experiences on the links between organised crime and terrorism, which were also accompanied by interventions from EMPACT HRCN, the Head of the EU Assistance Mission to Iraq, and one of the advisor to the EU Counterterrorism Coordinator.
Whereas Mario Hemmerling from CRIMJUST, discussed the global challenges and successes in coordinating international investigations and prosecutions in a panel shared with EL PAcCTO and WAPIS who provided regional insights from LAC and WA on this topic. This session highlighted the necessity of robust legal frameworks and cross-border cooperation to dismantle organised crime networks.
Overall, the week presented an opportunity to increase knowledge and strengthen coordinated responses to organised crime between practitioners, policy makers and academia, among others. The EU Crime Fighting Week also hosted several side events, including the EU-LAC Foundation meeting on EU-LAC cooperation to combat the Illicit Maritime Trade of Drugs, as well as the kick-off meeting of the EMPACT High Risk Criminal Networks priority Operational Actions on organised crime in Africa and links between organised crime and terrorism.
To learn more about the EU-funded Global Illicit Flows Programme, download the latest GIFP brochure here.
To see the Crime Fighting Week recap video and page click here
