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D iligent work by two female MEPs may mean that at

17th January 2008
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

last the theft of commercial vehicles and their loads will be taken seriously by the European Parliament. Early next year a conference hosted by the European Commission (EC) will examine the effects of such thefts on the EU and the action that can be taken to tackle a crime wave which at a conservative estimate costs €8.2bn (Th.2bn) a year.

But long before this conference takes place, other action is under way to improve the lot of the international driver. Money has been made available from the EU budget to build secure parking areas in an effort to beat the villains, with €5m (0.8m) available for a pilot project that marries EU money to private finance. So far five schemes have been approved in locations including France and Germany.

Setting the problem into context is a study sponsored by the European Parliament, Organised Theft of Commercial Vehicles and Their Loads in the European Union. This reveals that crime affects 90,000 drivers a year.

Two MEPs take the lead The study and the secure parking scheme were the initiatives of two MEPs on the European Parliament'sTransport andTourism Committee: Anne Jensen, who is Danish, and Dutchwoman Corien Wortmann-Koolwho recently opened a secure parking site in the Netherlands supported by private finance.

Wortmann-Kool has been encouraged by the take-up of her and Jensen's ideas: "She and I started as two lonely voices three years ago with the realisation that the police do not give enough attention to this sort of crime. We really need to achieve results for the drivers on our highways. We should look after their safety as well as demanding that they adhere to the drivers' hours regulations.

Last September the EU Transport and Tourism Committee invited representatives of enforcement agencies to a discussion focusing on the international nature of the criminal organisations that prey on drivers. "Transport crime is not yet a priority but we have a good chance of elevating it over the next few years," Wortm an n-Kool says.

She adds that the study should make a big difference: "For the first time ever we have the figures in a table." The study identifies several 'hot spots' where drivers and loads are particularly at risk,including the Netherlands,Belgi um, northern Italy, Dover and Greater London in the UK and parts of France (notably Calais). Border regions are especially dangerous.

While gangs work internationally police work nationally so the study recommends a great deal more cross-border co-operation between enforcement agencies. Two EU agencies, Europol and Eurojust,could help to co-ordinate intelligence against the gangs. Together, these institutions form an EU-wide platform through which member states can share information on crime-fighting initiatives.

Europol collects and distributes intelligence and Eurojust is responsible for placing crime-fighting actions into a legal framework. As yet, neither organisation has carried out much work in the fight against the organised theft of vehicles and loads.

Major threat to EU economy

The threat this type of crime poses to the EU economy can hardly be overestimated.

Although the study estimates annual losses of €8.2bn it recognises that this is a conservative figure. Many operators do not declare their full losses because of an element of own-risk self-insurance, and because they fear damage to their reputation if they are widely known to have been successfully targeted, perhaps on more than one occasion.As a result an estimated €450m (340m) is not declared by operators. If divided by the number of loaded trips this equates to about €6.72 (5.10) per trip.

Interpreting information on vehicle theft is not easy. The data from some countries mixes the theft of LGVs, vans and even cars and is therefore difficult to analyse in the context of freight-related theft. Even so, it appears that theft levels in the past five years are higher than those in the early 1990s. On a more positive note, the study adds: "Transport performance has grown significantly in the past decade and it is very doubtful that vehicle theft has increased more than proportionately."

Rising levels of cargo theft have forced consignors to re-evaluate their supply and distribution chain to outwit the villains. They have entered into strategic partnerships with freight forwarders and transport operators which carry out driver background checks; trucks are fitted with security systems,including satellite-navigation equipment; and drivers are encouraged to park at secure truck stops.

Criminals have reacted by becoming more cunning and aggressive, dressing up as police officers; creating false warehouses; employing knockout gas to disable drivers; and using brute force to enter vehicles.

A sinister development Perhaps the most sinister development is the gangs' increased organisation and intelligence, which often extends to knowing exactly what cargo is on board.

Opportunistic theft still occurs but the study points out: "The fact that more and more complete truckloads are stolen — and seemingly not at random — suggests there exists a large network of resellers' of stolen property... a truckload of a few hundred identical flat-screen television sets is not easily sold in a local pub.

"Also. the fact that such a quantity is stolen means there is a market for these goods." • CONTACTS corien.wartmann@europarl.europaeu anneejensen@europarl.europa.eu www.europarleuropa.eu


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