NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2023

Dear reader,

As chair of the European Crime Prevention Network, I am honoured to present the January newsletter.

Security, competitiveness, green and energy transitions, democratic values and the rule of law. These are the priorities of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2023. Security – not least the fight against organised crime – also remains one of the Swedish Government’s top political priorities.
The Swedish Presidency of the EUCPN will focus on how to prevent work-related crime, i.e. deliberate and often systematic activities to break laws, rules or agreements in a work-related context at the expense of workers, other companies or the State. Everyone has the right to a safe and secure work environment. A poor work environment should never provide a competitive advantage. Companies that deliberately contravene laws and regulations to gain competitive advantages create unhealthy competition in the labour market. Work-related crime involves large sums of money and feeds organised crime. The most serious cases involve human trafficking, human exploitation and financial crimes.
The Swedish Government has adopted a national strategy against work-related crime. The focus on work-related crime during our presidency in the EUCPN is mentioned in the strategy as an example of how to develop EU cooperation. We look forward to sharing preventive strategies to tackle work-related crime.

We wish you good reading of this month’s newsletter.

Karin Norberg

Estonia: services and support on labour market issues

Overview of information materials which are made and are provided for employers, foreign workers and also to the refugees from Ukraine offering them services and support in Estonia, also on labour market issues.

Spain: Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings for Labor Exploitation

The main objective of the plan is to set guidelines for action and improvement of the effectiveness of the investigations carried out in this area by the different specialised units of the National Police.

Poland: ZEW reads to children

A ZEW mascot goes to preschoolers or younger primary school students, where he tells a story through a recording and asks them to do a work that will illustrate it. The result of the project is i.a. increasing the awareness of younger children about potential dangers and behavior in difficult situations.

Portugal: Safety Health Program

Police action at hospitals, within a preventive context, is carried out both through awareness-raising activities for health professionals, where various safety tips are provided during face-to-face care, and during home visits by health professionals, as well as by reinforcing police visibility at hospital units.

Toolbox on high-risk victim groups

The EUCPN toolbox on High-risk victim groups provides a theoretical overview combined with practical information and examples on the topic of repeat- and secondary victimisation. Available in English, French, German and Czech.