EU: Cyber patrols and Internet investigation teams to reinforce the EU strategy against cyber crime

The Council of Ministers of the European Union recently adopted a strategy in order to reinforce the fight against cyber crime with a series of operational measures, i.e. cyber patrols, joint investigation teams and remote searches, which will be applied within the next five years. The strategy also introduces concrete steps for closer cooperation and information exchange between law enforcement authorities and the private sector.

The new strategy, a product of close collaboration of the European Commission and the Member States, has as its principal idea the reinforcement of the partnership between the police and the private sector. The key to this idea would be the knowledge-sharing on investigation methods and trends in cyber crime, encouraging both parties to respond quickly to information requests, organize remote searches as well as cyber patrols for online tracking of criminals and joint investigations across borders. 

An alert platform will also be set up in the near future hosting reports on crime committed on the Internet, such as posting of illegal content, within the European Union in straight collaboration and cross-checking by Europol. The platform, a project necessary for the success of the strategy in question, will receive the financing of the European Commission with an amount reaching 

300 000 Euro and will be implemented by Europol. 

Jacques Barrot, the Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, highlighted the importance of this strategy by saying: 

"The strategy encourages the much needed operational cooperation and information exchange between the Member States. It gives a shared responsibility to the Commission, the Member States and other stakeholders to introduce the different measures. If the strategy is to make the fight against cyber crime more efficient, all stakeholders have to be fully committed to its implementation. We are ready to support them, also financially, in their efforts." 

Further information:

• Original Europa RAPID press release
• Website of Vice-President Jacques Barrot