Cross-border crime and corruption in Europe: What next after the Stockholm Programme?

Whether it is combating terrorism or fighting organised crime, ranging from drugs or human trafficking to cyber-attacks, the security of Europe’s citizens is at the heart of current European policy.. As the Stockholm programme draws to an end, the European Commission, in partnership with the Security & Defence Agenda and Friends of Europe, is spearheading  a consultation process to define  the next steps.

Bringing together key stakeholders from the defence, diplomacy and development communities as well as academia and civil society representatives, the consultation process will  seek to come up with  innovative solutions on the future shape and contents of the the post-2014 Stockholm framework.. These consultations include the organisation of of two workshops: The workshop in Rome , held on 25 November 2013, looked at issues related to counter terrorism and radicalisation, cyber-crime and cyber-security and crisis management. The workshop in Berlin  on 21 January 2014 will focus on “white collar” and organised crime as well as the trafficking of human beings, arms and drugs.

The Stockholm programme has greatly helped to  to improve cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice among national authorities. Whether it is  human trafficking, arms and drugs or corruption and “white collar” crime, the European Commission has taken several measures over the last five years  to put in place the necessary instruments – ranging from legislation and EU directives to EU strategies and policies –  to tackle these challenges. However Europeans’ security and human rights continue to be at risk and organised crime continues to threaten the security of European citizens, businesses, state institutions as well as the economy..

A recently released report by the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin states that corruption costs EU Member States 323 billion euros annually, with a number of countries showing a deep-rooted lack of accountability and transparency leading to financial inefficiency. Europe is also one of the biggest world markets for trafficking in human beings, arms and drugs. In 2011  more than 5000 murders were committed in the EU with firearms (around 20% of all murders). Several thousand people are  trafficked to or within the EU  every year. . These cross-border challenges require joint solutions. Should the EU develop a new and improved set of tools, priorities and synergies? Or is more cooperation needed among member states and with other international actors?

The workshops will examine these issues and look at horizontal themes, ranging from implementation of existing measures to the development of new responses to internal security threats.  Discussions will begin with a strategic brainstorming on  future challenges to European security and the tools needed to address them.; it will continue with a critical analysis of the achievements and the challenges of the Stockholm programme, and, finally,  it will look at ways of developing these ow to develop tools from the EU’s existing toolbox.