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

establishment of a permanent correspondents network created to monitor and exchange
information on football supporters. 170 Besides the two initial operational groups on
terrorism and police cooperation, a third group on Serious Organised International
Crime was established in 1985. It aimed at the coordination of activities against serious
crime, especially drug trafficking but also money laundering, environmental crime or
stolen vehicles and illicit traffic in works of art. In 1988 a fourth working group was
created called “Trevi 1992”. The group addressed the national security implications of
the removal of internal borders and sought to adopt compensatory measures for the free
movement of persons, such as the intensification of exchange of information across
borders. In 1992, yet another Working Group on Europol was set in place with the aim
of establishing a European Drugs Unit (EDU) and later on, a European Police Office
(Europol). 171
Additionally, other groups were also formed alongside Trevi, many of which centred on
very similar topics to the ones explored by the Trevi ministers. These groups were not
formally part of the Trevi’s structure but reported to the Trevi ministers and their
representatives were identical to those of the Trevi working groups, often meeting at the
same time and venues. Examples of these groups include the Ad Hoc Group on
Immigration set up in October 1986 under the UK presidency, composed of senior civil
servants from the national immigration departments. The group was responsible for
drafting or helping to draft conventions on asylum and external borders; the most
notable example being the Dublin Convention. 172 Additionally, the Working Group on
Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters composed of senior officials was in charge of
drafting conventions and agreements in order to facilitate mutual legal assistance in
areas such as facilitation and simplification of extradition, terrorism funding and fraud
against EC budget. 173 In 1988, a Coordinators Group on the free movement of persons
was created at the Rhodes European Council meeting in December and was set up to
bring together the different groups on terrorism, policing, customs, drugs, immigration,
and legal cooperation, as well as to prepare the infrastructure which was to underpin
170 Benyon et al., Police Co-operation in Europe, supra note 149, 193-94. At the Council of
Europe level the European Convention in Spectators Violence had already been drafted and
signed in 1985 and intended to formulate and implement measures to prevent and control
violence and misbehaviour from spectators. Furthermore, a network of permanent
correspondents related to hooliganism at sports meeting was put in place in 1987, through the
“Declaration of the Belgian Presidency : Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers of the
European Community”, Brussels, 28 April 1987, in Bunyan, Key Texts in Justice and Home
Affairs, supra note 141, 9-11.
171 Benyon et al., Police Co-operation in Europe, supra note 149,156-159.
172 Benyon et al., Police Co-operation in Europe, ibid.,162. The Dublin Convention addressed the
issue of the examination of applications for asylum lodged in one of the Member States.
173 Benyon et al., Police Co-operation in Europe, supra note 149,162-163.
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