There are over 800 high-risk criminal networks in Europe.

Omissions

• Geographic scope: the Europol report specifically covers criminal networks affecting the EU, not all of Europe. Non-EU European countries may host additional networks not captured in the 821 figure.
• Terminology: the Europol report uses 'most threatening criminal networks,' not 'high-risk criminal networks,' though both terms are used in EU policy discourse and refer to largely the same phenomenon.
• Temporal context: the report was published in April 2024, making the data approximately two years old by the time of the MEP's statement in May 2026. The figure may have changed since.
• The 821 figure represents networks identified through Member State and third-country contributions; it is not necessarily an exhaustive census of all criminal networks operating in Europe.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropolThis resulted in a unique dataset of 821 most threatening criminal networks, with extensive information on all aspects that describe them and how they operate.
• PrimaryEuropol NewsroomThe analysis of 821 […] 800 criminal networks with tens of thousands of individuals involved shows the scale and complexity of organised crime in the EU.
• SecondaryDeutsche Welle (DW)Europol has identified 821 'most threatening' criminal networks operating in the European Union.
• SecondaryEucrimThe report 'Decoding the EU's most threatening criminal networks' identifies 821 criminal networks that represent the highest threat to the EU's internal security.