Implications of cross-border crime risks in an open Europe

It is to be expected that the development of an open economic space within the E.C. and the increased accessibility of Eastern Europe will lead to new patterns of cross-border crimes. So do the risks of becoming a victim of one of those crimes. However, the risks may not be spread evenly: some markets may become more affected by crime-entrepreneurs than other markets, though most attention is devoted to drug trafficking and drug money related money-laundering. However, organized drug trafficking and organized fraud are not so neetly seperated. From crimeentrepreneurial point of view one can broadly speak of cross-border crime markets in European regions.The criminological implications may be the development of Euro-crime markets in which crimeentrepreneurs develop lasting patterns of cooperation and cross-border organizations. This is already the case on the illicit drug market. Crime patterns on the field of organized commercial crime, toxic waste trafficking or EC-fraud point in the same direction. The implications for business and law enforcement alike are that without the development of new strategies of prevention and cross-border police investigations organized crime may well intertwine into the developiing European economic and social structure thus acquiring a corrosive foothold in the legitimate industry.