A new Europol analysis of the EU’s “most threatening criminal networks” has examined more than 700 groups with over 400,000 members linked to 118 countries.
The report — presented by the European Commission, Europol and the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU on Friday— says organised crime in Europe remains “strong, adaptive and deeply embedded”, despite disruption by law enforcement action.
Most of the networks analysed rely on legitimate-looking structures, with 85% using legal business arrangements.
Europol’s analysis lists the main areas of activity as drug trafficking, cybercrime, migrant smuggling, trafficking in human beings, fraud and money laundering, as well as “crime-as-a-service” — a term used for outsourced criminal services such as hacking tools or fraud infrastructure.
The networks are increasingly abusing digital technologies, global trade flows and legal business structures, and operate as part of what the report calls a “fluid criminal ecosystem” that adapts quickly when disrupted.
Proposal to update Europol’s mandate
The European Commission said it has put forward a proposal to strengthen Europol’s mandate, describing it as a way to support investigations into increasingly digital and cross-border criminal activity.
Europol is the EU’s centre for law enforcement cooperation and helps member states share information and coordinate investigations, particularly in cross-border cases where national authorities may not have the full picture of a threat.
The latest publication follows a previous Europol report on the same topic released in 2024.
Organised crime in Europe is “evolving fast” and becoming “more adaptive, interconnected and deeply embedded in our societies”, executive vice-president Henna Virkkunen said in the Commission’s statement.
