Meeting on vehicle crime in Rome

The Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU organised an expert police meeting on 27 and 28 November in Rome, which focused on vehicle crime. The dedicated network of national coordinators in this field is known as CARPOL. Chaired by the Italian National Police, 24 EU Member States and Switzerland were represented at the meeting with the support of Europol and Interpol.

Several topics were on the agenda, including the results of the European-wide operation ITACAR to tackle stolen vehicles. An important topic discussed was the accepted German proposal for the standardisation of identification markings on heavy equipment. A new phenomenon addressed was the trade in stolen spare vehicle parts. It is estimated that one in four stolen cars is immediately dismantled and sold on the Internet. CARPOL is also exploring the possibilities of working closer with the private sector to combat vehicle crime.