The EU needs to tackle a new threat: international organised crime. Europe's criminal underworld is taking advantage of new opportunities to commit crime that come with the increasing mobility of people, goods and services across national boundaries. Cheap internet access, mobile phones and budget air travel allows criminals to commit old crimes, like theft or fraud, in new ways and in relative anonymity.

This paper asks whether European police forces are doing enough to break up organised criminal networks. It examines the difficulties police and prosecutors encounter when working together on cross-border investigations and recommends how co-operation can be improved.

Hugo Brady is a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform.