Measures to tackle organised crime, corruption and money laundering are set out in an EU action plan for 2014-2019 recommended by Parliament on Wednesday. Seizing the financial assets of organised crime networks and choking off their sources of income tops the list. Nearly 4000 international criminal organisations are said to be operating in the EU in 2013.
“The cost of the mafias, difficult to estimate, ranges from 4 to 5 percentage points of GDP for the EU alone,” said Salvatore Iacolino (EPP, IT), who drew up the final proposals, which were approved by 526 votes to 25, with 87 abstentions. This resolution is “a list of concrete actions to be implemented over the next legislative term. This is a common challenge to criminal systems,” he added.
Europol figures point to 3600 international criminal organisations operating in the EU in 2013, of which 70% have members from different countries.
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