Organised crime and drug trafficking

Expected Impact:

In the long-term, the funding is expected to:

• have increased operational capacity of law enforcement and other security-oriented authorities to fight organised crime and drug production and trafficking, including an improved capability to trace and untangle complex money laundering schemes as well as illicit flows of goods.
• enhance risk assessments and risk awareness and resilience measures in view of anticipating, preventing and tackling organised crime and drug related crimes.
• have improved cross-border cooperation including with key third countries and information exchange (including where possible and applicable with the private sector) and sharing of challenges and good practices in fighting against organised crime.
• have improved detection, identification and referral of victims of crime in the context of cross-border operational actions, as well as improved protection of victims in criminal proceedings, in cooperation with civil society organisations.

Expected Outcome:

Projects should aim to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

• increase understanding of the nature and modus operandi of criminal networks and key actors and enablers including in vulnerable sectors in society and specific situations such as in prisons.
• increase monitoring of transportation modalities, routes, and online and detection and interdiction of illicit flows such as illicit drugs.
• enhance coordination of law enforcement and other security-oriented authorities in cross-border operations and support multi-stakeholders coordinated responses.
• increase involvement of the private sector and civil society and other relevant (non-law enforcement) stakeholders in preventing and combating organised crime and drug production and trafficking.
• increase the availability and use of innovations and technical tools for law enforcement inter alia for detection objectives such as production sites and concealed illicit goods.

Objective:

The general objective of the call for proposals is combating organised crime by dismantling and disrupting criminal networks, their ringleaders and enablers, as well as several priorities of the EU Drugs Strategy that contribute to the fight against drug trafficking and preparedness to respond to drug related security threats. Applications should focus on tackling the activities of criminal networks, especially those whose activities represent a greater threat to society.

Scope:

The call contains 4 horizontal priority areas (for all organised crimes) and 2 crime-specific priority areas:

1. improving the intelligence picture on criminal networks
2. facilitating cross border investigations
3. facilitating financial investigations
4. supporting crime prevention measures and tackling criminal infiltration
5. strengthening capabilities to fight drug production and trafficking
6. Strengthening EU and national preparedness against drug related security threats.

The project applications submitted under the present call for proposals must address one, but preferably more, of the following priorities stipulated in points 1 to 6