On Friday, 4 March, 2022, Members of the European Parliament Jeroen Lenaers (CDA) and Vera Tax (PvdA), together with their assistants Jeroen Naus and Davy van Aarssen, visited EURIEC. During the meeting, the history of EURIEC, its activities and results so far were discussed. The EURIEC team presented its findings on the possibilities for cross-border information exchange illustrated by five case studies, related to topics like money laundering and migrant workers.
The MEPs took part in the discussion with great interest. Besides the importance of cross-border collaboration in the administrative approach to organised crime, the attention for this topic at the European level was emphasized. Rob Hutschemaekers, head of EURIEC, stated:
“The administrative approach is of added value in tackling organised crime in Europe. The experiences of the EURIEC can be used for other European border regions.”
Jeroen Lenaers has been a member of the European Parliament on behalf of the CDA since 2014. His portfolio includes the committees Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). As rapporteur, he worked, among other things, on the establishment of the European Labour Authority and the establishment of interoperability between the European justice, police and migration information systems.
Vera Tax has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2019. In the European Parliament, within the Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and Regional Development (REGI) committees, she is concerned with, among other things, a safe, sustainable and social transport sector and cross-border collaboration.