Question for written answer  E-002671/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (PPE)

During a recent meeting of Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, representatives from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Europol, Eurojust and the Commission acknowledged that cooperation among EU agencies remained insufficient to effectively combat the growing threat of cross-border organised crime. Despite the existence of secure communication channels, national legislation still hinders the timely exchange of sensitive data. Europol, for example, lacks the authority to initiate an investigation without Member State involvement, limiting its operational effectiveness.

The EPPO highlighted the complexity of ‘poly-crimes’, where financial crimes such as VAT fraud and money laundering are linked to other criminal activities such as arms trafficking. However, tracing these links is hampered by fragmented data access and slow asset recovery mechanisms.

The creation of a European asset recovery office is a welcome step, but current resources remain inadequate. Cooperation with non-EU countries also lacks a robust legal framework, undermining efforts to pursue transnational criminals.

Given these limitations, what legislative and operational steps does the Commission plan to take to empower EU agencies with stronger investigative capabilities, faster access to cross-border data, and the legal autonomy needed to act effectively against organised crime without over-reliance on Member State consent?

Submitted: 1.7.2025

Last updated: 8 July 2025