Task force on Crime data availability 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

Eurostat Working Group, statistics on crime and criminal justice Mandate of the Working Group includes the option: “To identify specific tasks within the European Statistical System relevant to the Action Plan for delegation to task forces, and to propose the mandates and members of such task forces.” Two task forces are currently operational Victimisation (met 28-29 June 2007) Crime data availability (met 6-7 November 2008) 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

Mandate of the task force on crime data availability (1) To review the discussions of the Expert Group on the policy needs for data on crime and criminal justice, and to identify matters of specific relevance to the activities of the Working Group for Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice To identify which indicators developed by the Expert Group might readily be provided on the basis of existing data which are statistically reliable, and to discuss methods of collecting these data To identify indicators developed by the Expert Group for which no statistical data currently exists, and to suggest methods of obtaining such data or proxy data . 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

Mandate of the task force on crime data availability (2) To examine quality aspects of the available data and propose improvements where these seem necessary To suggest changes in the interest of improving the efficiency of the data collection To propose measures for co-ordinating the data collection with similar international exercises To assist in the preparation of meetings of the Working Group for Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics, specifically in identifying topics for the agenda and developing documents for discussion 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

First priority : money-laundering Specifically referred to in the Action Plan 2006-2010 (Objective 5.5) Included in the list of crime types in Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA (European Arrest Warrant) Indicators were proposed by sub-group on Financial Crime 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

Data collection process Eurostat Working Group 7-8 February 2008 agreed on pilot collection of money-laundering data Eurostat made formal request for data to contact points in Member States/candidate countries/EFTA Eurostat provided contact points with details of Financial Intelligence Units in their country Task force examined the results of this exercise, 6-7 November 2008 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

Examination of results Replies received from 25 MSs, plus 7 EFTA/CCs Most replies included detailed commentary on the figures In some cases, great difficulties or delays reported in contacting Financial Intelligence Units or Customs Offices Nearly all MSs provided data on Suspicious Transaction Reports. About a third were able to provide some information for most other items in the Reporting/Intelligence and the Investigation stages For the Judicial stage, half of the MSs provided data on "third party" money laundering and sentences by type and length and a third for "self laundering" and confiscation procedures. For the other items, data was only available from a few MSs 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

Conclusions of task force The data obtained are not publishable in their current form Members of Working Group and Expert Group to be invited to provide comments with a view to improving data quality The Money-Laundering Sub-group should be invited to examine the data and the report of the task force The proposed list of indicators should then be refined and amended taking into account the findings of the Task Force In particular, the Sub-group should study the need for guidelines and definitions A further data collection exercise can then be attempted, and the task force will examine whether these data are sufficiently statistically reliable for publication 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

Areas in which Expert Group sub-groups are currently working Financial crime (including money-laundering and corruption) Trafficking in human beings Criminal justice Police co-operation (just starting) 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice

Thank you for your attention Geoffrey.Thomas@ec.europa.eu 20 February 2009 Working Group, Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice