“In the Report approved today with a large majority and with the support of all political Groups, we have identified the priorities needed to create a roadmap for the effective combating of criminal phenomena in Europe and worldwide”, said Salvatore Iacolino MEP.

"No EU Member State is anymore immune to the presence of organised crime and its activities on their territory. This has become a European challenge that we must face and fight together on a European level", said Salvatore Iacolino MEP, Standing Rapporteur for the Special Committee on organised crime, corruption and money laundering, on the sidelines of the vote on his mid-term report in Strasbourg.

"There are several areas on which we need to focus: we need to strengthen new technologies to better tackle cyber-crime; we have to provide more rigorous legislation on the security of public procurement in order to exclude those convicted of criminal activity; we have to educate political parties on the concept of responsibility through a strict ethical code together with legislation against vote trading as well as money laundering and self-laundering; we have to think of the crime of sports manipulation, as organised crime profits from illegal online gambling and illegal sport betting.”

“We have to intensify the fight against corruption which costs around €770 billion a year globally - €120 billion in Europe alone. This diverts abundant resources which could be used for growth and development, especially in these times of deep economic and financial crisis.”

“Organised crime is a transnational crime and a threat to European citizens, the European economy, its businesses and institutions. For this reason, we need to fight it through the creation of positive cooperation at European level and with third countries, tax havens included”, concluded Salvatore Iacolino MEP.

For more information:

Salvatore IACOLINO MEP, STR: +33 (0)3 88 175193

Francesco Frapiccini, EPP Group Press and Communications Service, tel.: +32 473 941652

Note to Editors

The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 269 Members and 3 Croatian Observer Members.