Summary: May 22, 2003: Intervention by Greece on behalf of the European Union Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, 12th session (13-22 May, 2003)
Agenda Item 5: International Cooperation in Combating Transnational Crime
1. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The acceding countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, and the associated countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, associate themselves with this statement.
2. The European Union has taken note with interest of the various reports regarding international cooperation in combating transnational crime published this year. We express our appreciation for the hard work done by the Secretariat in producing this high quality and useful documentation.
3. The European Union is deeply concerned with the growth of organized crime and its multifaceted ramifications on regional and international level. It is recognized that without effective prevention of crime there can be no sustainable development and poverty reduction. The EU has developed a comprehensive approach in the fight against all forms of transnational crime, leading to a balanced development of Union-wide measures, while protecting the freedom and legal rights of individuals and
economic operators. In this regard, the EU has adopted several legal instruments aimed at improving cooperation among European law enforcement and judicial authorities, such as the EU Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance and, most recently, the new European arrest warrant, and continues to expand and deepen its crime prevention framework in the areas of crime proofing, investigation, money laundering and confiscation of assets. Furthermore, the European Union has established specialized
cross-sectoral institutions and networks, such as the European Crime Prevention Network, whose objective is, inter alia, to identify new crime trends and develop various aspects of crime prevention policies and facilitate cooperation, contacts and exchange of information and experience.
4. The European Union acknowledges that the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto is a decisive step towards international cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime. In this regard, we welcome the fact that a number of States have already ratified the aforementioned Convention and its Protocols, making the entry into force of the Convention imminent. The EU wishes to express its appreciation for the important work
undertaken by the Centre for International Crime Prevention in promoting the signing, ratification and implementation of the Convention and its protocols, by providing pre-ratification and implementation technical assistance to developing countries and countries in transition. The EU welcomes the fact that some States, including EU Member States, are already cooperating with the Centre in this endeavour, by, inter alia, providing experts to the Centre or organizing technical workshops and
seminars.
5. Mr. Chairman, trafficking in human beings, and especially women and children, which is the topic of this session's thematic discussion, seriously undermines human dignity and the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, entailing unscrupulous practices, such as the sexual exploitation of vulnerable persons, the use of violence and coercion, debt bondage and slavery, and also the removal of organs. The United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially
Women and Children, represents a crucial instrument towards facilitating international cooperation in this field. The EU has taken important steps towards strengthening the criminal justice responses against trafficking in human beings and towards improving the protection and support systems for victims and witnesses. The President of the European Council of Ministers of Justice has already indicated the Union's strong interest in combating this abominable criminal activity. In addition to a
series of legislative texts issued and adopted, the EU has been implementing several projects, including technical assistance projects in this field. We commend CICP for the work delivered in this area, especially under the relevant Global Programme, encompassing both analytical work as well as technical cooperation activities. In this context, we would also like to thank the United Nations Network of Institutes for organizing a research workshop on this topic during this session.
6. We have taken note of the Secretariat's reports on both kidnapping and illicit trafficking of wild flora and fauna, as well as of illicit access to genetic resources. The EU bears in mind that organized criminal groups are frequently involved in those criminal activities. We consider kidnapping to be a serious crime, which has grave effects on its victims and we note the fact that, as the report states, despite the scale of the problem, important steps have been taken in a number of
jurisdictions to counter it. It is worth mentioning that both kidnapping as well as illicit trafficking in endangered animal species and plant species and varieties are offences covered by the new European arrest warrant and the new surrender procedures between EU member states.
7. Mr. Chairman, the EU reiterates that corruption poses a serious threat to a country's social, economic and political development, and therefore wishes to express its attachment to the satisfactory result of the on-going negotiation of the international Convention against Corruption. The new instrument, by adopting a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, is designed to be broad and effective, balancing the need for the establishment of a functional mechanism for the recovery of assets
with the need for institutionalization of effective preventive measures. We commend the Secretariat for its excellent work in preparing and organizing all meetings. As we have now entered the last phase of the negotiations, we hope that the spirit of cooperation that member states have demonstrated so far will continue to prevail, thus enabling the Ad Hoc Committee to complete its assigned tasks successfully and according to schedule.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
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