CIROC Seminar: 'East meets West' 20 December 2006

On May 1, 2004 10 new countries from Central and East Europe joined the European Union, on January 1, 2007 two more countries will follow them. This enlargement provided not only new economic possibilities, but also created new opportunities for organized crime. Politicians, journalists and scholars emphasize the fear that West Europe is about to ‘import’ crime from the East Europe. But also West European criminals ‘discover’ new illicit markets and clients in East Europe. How serious is the problem of import/export of organized crime to- and from East Europe? This is the subject which Dutch and East European criminologists will discuss during the present CIROC seminar.

Programme

9.30 – 10.00 Coffee

10.00 – 10.15 Opening – Prof. Dr. Henk van de Bunt (EUR/ CIROC)

Morning session
The criminal threat of the EU enlargement – myth and reality (chair: Prof. Dr. Henk van de Bunt, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam/ CIROC)

10.15 – 11.00 The criminal import/export between East and West Europe – Dr. Dina Siegel (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, CIROC)

11.00 – 11.45 Transnational Organised Crime, illegal markets and human trafficking from Serbia to the Western Europe - Prof. Dr. Vesna Nikolic-Ristanovic, (Victimology Society of Serbia.)

11.45 – 12.30 Discussion

12.30 – 13.30 Lunch

Afternoon session
Situation in Eastern Europe – crime for export? (chair: Dr. Dina Siegel, VU/ CIROC)

13.30 – 14.15 Bulgarian Organized Crime – Tihomir Bezlov (Center for Study of Democracy, Sofia, Bulgaria)

14.15 – 15.00 The evolution of Albanian organized crime groups in Belgium and the Netherlands: what has changed since 1996? – Jana Arsovska (Catholic University of Leuven)

15.00 – 15.30 Koffie / coffee break

15.30 – 16.15 The view of Dutch law enforcement - mr. Jan Boersma (Nationale Recherche, VU)

16.15 –16.45 Discussion

16.45 – 17.30 Drink

For more informatio visit the CIROC website.