Organised crime

By nature international, agile and capable of swiftly adapting and expanding, organised crime has a direct impact on local territories and is prevalent even in places that have long considered themselves safe. The infiltration of illegal activities into the public sector and the creation of illegal markets have a direct impact on local territories’ economic and social health. A great number of European local and regional governments are increasing their efforts to protect their citizens as well as local administrative, economic and democratic processes against organised crime and its repercussions.

Since December 2019, Efus has been coordinating a working group on ‘the local roots and impacts of organised crime’, which is led by two member cities, Amsterdam and Rotterdam (Netherlands). The group seeks to adapt local prevention policies to the characteristics of organised crime, in particular the fact that it is transnational; to curb the impact of illicit money flows on local security and public order; to develop adapted evaluation tools; to facilitate the transfer of promising practices among cities; to work on the impact of organised crime on European port cities, and lastly to strengthen the prevention of human trafficking.

> Recommendations from the 2025 Security, Democracy and Cities manifesto

> Reports from the 2024 Security, Democracy and Cities conference
– Global drug trafficking, local impacts and responses
– Local roots and impacts of organised crime
– How to use the administrative approach to reduce the impact of organised crime at the local level

> Positioning

In its 2025 Security, Democracy and Cities manifesto, Efus says that “local authorities should be encouraged to combine social, economic and repressive measures to fight against organised crime.” They must use all the measures available to them, in addition to the penal law, by using administrative and regulatory tools, as well as tools for prevention and education to legality. Efus also calls European institutions to further “involve local authorities in European strategies for the  prevention of and fight against organised crime, and encourage an administrative approach.” Efus strongly recommends the re-use for social ends of assets confiscated from organised crime groups, as “it is essential to rebuild trust and a sense of justice in cities affected by corruption.” Indeed, the social re-use of  seized property can have a strong impact on the local community.