Filenews 23 January 2026
Organized crime is a common denominator of all the issues that occupied the second and last day of the informal Ministerial Meeting on Home Affairs and Justice, organized by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in Nicosia, according to statements by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Costas Fytiris, after the end of the work.
Speaking about the conclusions reached by the competent Ministers of EU member states, discussing issues related to the recovery of assets from criminal activities, the protection of cultural heritage, but also the alternative penalties for minors and young people involved in criminal cases due to drug use, Mr. Fytiris noted that "Ministers agreed that we need European solutions and coordinated action for the modern challenges of justice."
"In order to go one step ahead of organized crime, in order to deal with it, we need to join forces, respond quickly and utilize all the information that any state agency can have," the Minister underlined, adding that "there should be and will be a joining of forces, an exchange of information in order to fight organized crime in all the countries of the European Union."
He explained that joining forces concerns services, the economy, the police and information exchange, "so that together we can build a system that can be one step ahead of organized crime", underlining that "this is the goal and this is what we are doing".
Answering a question about the main criminal activities that result in the criminal economy in the EU reaching €188 billion, Mr. Fytiris said that among them is the drug trade, the arms trade and the protection provided by illegal and criminal organizations with extortion.
He also noted that the illegal export of cultural goods amounts to 5 billion euros, after thefts, but also from their transfer from some countries to other countries, which have more favourable legislation for smugglers of antiquities.
Confiscation of property and public-private partnership: the measures discussed by the Ministers
Speaking more specifically about the measures discussed by the Ministers for the recovery of assets from criminal activities, Mr. Fytiris underlined that one of the main priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU is to strengthen the prevention and tackling of organized and cross-border crime.
Pointing out that the illicit assets obtained by criminal organizations, as long as they remain in their possession, are the main driving factor for the consolidation and expansion of their illegal activities, he said that the Ministers took a positive position on the need for more effective implementation of the existing legal arsenal both at national and European and cross-border level.
"A particularly useful legal tool in this direction is expected to be the implementation of the recent directive that will enable the confiscation of unexplained wealth," he added.
He also stated that "the Ministers agreed on the importance of the partnership between the private and public sectors for the consolidation of financial crime and the recovery of illicit proceeds at national and European level, always respecting the rights of citizens, such as the protection of personal data".
The Ministers raised the need for an impact study for the protection of cultural heritage
During the Ministers' discussion on the protection of cultural heritage, Mr. Fytiris noted that weaknesses were identified in the existing EU legal framework, as well as divergences between national legislations, explaining that these weaknesses "are exploited by smugglers of antiquities, fraudsters, dealers as well as holders in bad faith, in order to choose the most favourable legal status for them by transferring the stolen cultural property to the states with the most favourable laws for them".
He noted that the Ministers agreed on the need for more investigation of the issue and to this end invited the European Commission to submit relevant impact studies. He also said that the protection of cultural heritage is still a key priority of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Need for interdisciplinary cooperation for young people in criminal drug use cases
Strong interdisciplinary cooperation emerged during the work of the informal Session as a key parameter for the alternative treatment of juvenile and young adult offenders involved in drug use cases and coming into contact with the criminal justice system.
As Mr. Fytiris explained, cooperation between justice, health, social services, education and local bodies is needed, as well as the decisive role of specialized prosecutors, juvenile courts and treatment and surveillance services. Besides, as he said, the importance of early detection of substance use problems and decision-making, based on an individualized assessment of the needs and vulnerability of the young offender, was also highlighted.
He added that from the exchange of views of the Ministers, the common position that detention should be a measure of last resort, especially for minors, emerged, with an emphasis on the principle of treatment instead of punishment, recognizing that the use of addictive substances is primarily a health and social issue, while at the same time it contributes to the unloading of prisons.
The use of alternative measures, according to the Minister, concerns the abstention from conditional prosecution, the suspension of sentences in therapeutic terms and structured prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programs to address the causes of delinquency, with the support of users and the reduction of recidivism.
Finally, he said that it was pointed out that alternative treatment requires continuity through post-treatment care, prevention, reintegration, psychosocial support and monitoring, while the added value of EU cooperation was recognized.
"The Cyprus Presidency will use these conclusions in the formulation of the EU Drugs Action Plan under consultation," he concluded.
CNA
