The evolution of European Union criminal law (1957-2012)

traditionally focused on. Indeed, Euro-crimes tended to be considered as serious
criminality, potentially transnational, often with elements of collective action and use of
certain forms of infrastructure. In all, during this period, the EU laid down the
groundwork for its own idea of criminal justice across the European Union. Some of the
main features of ECL were this shaped during these years regardless of of EC’s and
EU’s limited competence in criminal matters. It will be seen in the next chapter how the
tendency to read the Treaties ambitiously, to follow an expansionist dynamic regardless
of fragile institutional arrangements, and to make use of legal concepts such as
organised crime allowed the EU to continue exploring and advancing its wide stance on
criminal law related matters.
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