The problem of organised crime has been
dealt with through EU-level instruments in a
series of initiatives since the early 1990s.
New developments were in some cases
sparked by dramatic incidents raising public
outcry across national borders, as was the
case with the murders of prosecuting
magistrates Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni
Falcone by Sicilian mafia.
As policy evolved, so did the EU's official
discourse. In recent years, the use of the
term "organised crime", once predominant,
has declined in favour of "serious crime".
This change marks a shift of focus from the
structure of criminal groups to the harm
they inflict on individuals and societies.
This new vocabulary and policy approach
illustrate attempts by academics, lawenforcement
agencies and policy-makers to
grasp the ever-changing nature of crime.
The change does not suggest, however, that
the transnational activities of organised
criminal groups are decreasing. On the
contrary, crime syndicates continue to thrive
on globalisation, making full use of open
borders and free trade.1 Their structure and
modus operandi continually take new forms,
rendering existing policy measures obsolete.
© Vladislav Kochelaevs / Fotolia
As the term of office of the Parliament's
Special Committee on Organised Crime,
Corruption and Money Laundering comes to
an end, a new chapter is being written in the