The European Union and the Police of the EU Member States in the Beginning of the 21st Century: Some Results and Prospects

Abstract

Some results of the European Union development over the last decade are considered. At this background the organization of the police activities in the EU member states to engage the non-governmental non-commercial organizations, other community structures in combating crime in Europe is analyzed. At that, the basic objective of the EU countries police cooperation is ensuring the high level of personal protection and security for the European citizens. Some new crime prevention approaches of the police in the EU member states, particularly, “community policing”, “neighbor policing”, etc., are analyzed. Special characteristics and national specific features of criminal policy and of the sphere of the transnational organized crime prevention in several European states are studied. The study involved multiple and diverse information sources, including, primarily, normative legal documents of the European Union and of its governing structures, guidelines on the police functioning both in the European Union as a hole and in its particular member states. The legal normative documents of another European body, namely, of the Council of Europe are analyzed as well. Also, some results and prospects of international cooperation within the EU framework and beyond to overcome both national and transnational crime are considered.