The priorities of the Minister of the Interior, Annemie Turtleboom, for the Belgian Presidency
Minister of the Interior, Annemie Turtelboom, views implementation of the European security strategy to be a priority for the Belgian Presidency. "In order to combat cross-border crime, the Member States will need to act together in implementing this strategy", Minister Turtelboom explained. "CIt is only by detecting phenomena early, establishing the priorities and acting proactively that the security of our citizens can be strengthened."
Crime does not stop at the borders. That is why Europe must, now more than ever, cooperate, exchange information and share best practices. Cross-border crime can be countered effectively by working in a more structured, organised and systematic way.
Minister Turtelboom will put the problem of illegal arms trading on the agenda during the Presidency. "Violence in which heavy weapons, such as kalachnikovs, are more frequently being used is being faced not just by Belgium but also by other European countries." International arms trafficking, which emerged after the Balkans conflict, calls for a common approach within a Europe with open internal borders.
"Just as criminals are not halted by the borders of a Member State, the various police forces cannot have their work stalled for this reason", Minister Turtelboom explained. "The various police forces within European frontiers must cooperate extensively and exchange information so that new phenomena emerging within Europe can be anticipated rapidly and early."
In addition to arms traders, Minister Turtelboom will focus on itinerant criminal gangs during the Presidency. Such criminals often commit burglaries in border regions and then slip across the border, escaping from police. This is why it is of crucial importance that the Member States harmonise the way in which the problem of itinerant criminal gangs are defined and analysed to form a clear picture of the phenomenon in order to be able to act proactively. The exchange of information between police forces is crucial in this regard.
The priorities of the Belgian Presidency explained by the Minister of the Interior: Download the video here (370 MB).