Ireland is suffering from an international crime pandemic that we cannot fight alone. Voting yes to the Lisbon Treaty will give our justice system the tools it needs to respond to the growing problem of cross- border crime and relieve the suffering it causes in our cities and towns.
In the last year, gangland shootings have almost doubled the murder rate in Ireland. The drugs problem grows steadily worse, spreading to new areas, wasting lives and fuelling these needless killings. Only last week it emerged that at least nine major Irish gangs are operating across Europe. These gangs bring weapons and drugs into Ireland with impunity, despite the best efforts of the Gardaí. NGO Ruhama say that human trafficking is on the rise. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) has said there are strong cross-border links between mafia-style gangs, networks of traffickers of both drugs and human beings. But these are not separate issues: they are one issue: Cross- Border Crime is out of control.
Yet we are not powerless in the face of these problems- instead we must act- and act together. These issues highlight the need for a coordinated approach to crime that knows no borders. This doesn’t mean giving up control, in fact, it means the very opposite. It means European Nations taking control away from the criminals by cooperating to fight a common threat. Because the EU always acts under the principle of subsidiarity, it can only make laws where the action of individual countries is insufficient. It is a principle easily applicable to the enforcement of law and order, and particularly to the worst problems like gangs, drugs and human trafficking.
Lisbon addresses cross border crime in articles 81 to 89 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union. Under the new Treaty, the EU will aim to tackle “trafficking in human beings and the exploitation of women and children; illicit drug trafficking; illicit arms trafficking; money laundering; corruption; terrorism; counterfeiting of means of payment; computer crime and organised crime”. These problems are bigger than any one nation- but Lisbon isn’t just about good intentions, but delivering results in a tangible way.
Article 85 commits Eurojust, the EU’s Judicial Cooperation Unit, to the initiation and coordination of criminal investigations and prosecutions by national authorities. It strengthens judicial cooperation and the resolution of conflicts by closely cooperating with the European Judicial Network. This means that Europe’s legal systems will work to ensure that criminals don’t “slip through the net”. Lisbon will help make sure that these serious crimes are recognised in the same way all across the EU, and that the evidence needed to convict them can be shared between states.
Europol is given extended authority under Lisbon. Our European police office will be further supported and strengthened by the Gardaí and the other Member States’ police authorities. Their cooperation in combating gangs is vital in the fight against cross border crime. Members of An Garda Síochana are already based full-time with Europol in The Hague: a partnership that has been giving excellent results. Under the treaty, any operational action by Europol must be carried out with the unanimous agreement of each Member State and the application of coercive measures shall be the exclusive responsibility of the competent national authorities. This means that our own elected government, advised by the Gardaí retain full control over investigations. Europol doesn’t make arrests, instead, it facilitates the fast exchange of information; sophisticated intelligence analysis; and co-ordination, expertise and training. This is of huge benefit to our police forces. Lisbon gives Europol a stronger legal foundation while article 88 legislates for oversight by the Dáil and the European Parliament. As things stand, even where the Gardaí catch drug smugglers, they are often forced to stop there. So in 2007 out of a recorded 18, 583 controlled drug offences, 3,751 resulted in convictions. With Lisbon, there will be a network of police cooperation, facilitating and supporting the Gardaí, who will be able to track the illegal drugs from their entry point into Ireland, and a legal system that is equipped to ensure that criminals who do the cime, do the time- not go on holiday to Spain.
Cooperation between states to combat crime is a proven solution. The Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics) was launched in 2006. It is a seven nation European agency and has seized €11bn worth of cocaine since 2007. Experts reckon the seizures account for a massive 20% of the cocaine supply that has been sent out from South American drug cartels to European cities. Ireland was the first country to sign up to the MAOC-N centre, which is based in Lisbon. This operation is directed toward combating drug smuggling by sea- and this is only one of a number of problems. More importantly, It is a perfect example for what can be achieved when European States work together to tackle a common problem
It’s great that we can travel freely throughout Europe- we can visit friends, see new places or study in other countries. Generation YES think it’s one of the best things about being in the EU. But this freedom also entails risk. To maintain the open borders that have served us so well, we need to respond at a European level. We can keep on talking about the problem- or we can act: it’s your choice.
If you want to live in a country where those criminals who bring the very worst problems to our streets are arrested and punished, Vote YES on October 2nd
