Driving The Change: an EU Barrier Model to Prevent and Disrupt Vehicle Crime

Organised property crime, especially motor vehicle theft (MVT), poses a persistent and intricate challenge for EU law enforcement. MVT is a designated key priority under the EU’s 2nd Policy Cycle for combating serious and organized crime. Although EU-wide vehicle theft rates have decreased, the average value of stolen vehicles has risen due to criminal groups targeting high-end cars and using advanced ICT tools. Meanwhile, recovery rates for stolen vehicles have declined, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by EU law enforcement in addressing MVT.

In addition to traditional criminal law methods, administrative approaches and barrier models have surfaced as potential tools in preventing and addressing organised crime. V-Bar‘s most recent policy brief presents an EU-wide barrier model and outlines five prioritised barriers with the greatest potential for feasibility, efficiency, and impact in a comprehensive European strategy to combat MVT. The model draws upon case studies from six countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.

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