European Cybercrime Centre Established

The European Commission has established a European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) at Europol. According to the announcement, the EC3 will be the focal point in the EU's fight against cybercrime. The EC3 was officially launched January 1, 2013 with a mandate to tackle such crimes as online fraud, online child sexual exploitation, and activities that affect critical infrastructure and information systems in the European Union.

The scale of cybercrime represents a considerable challenge to law enforcement agencies, requiring a coordinated and collaborative approach across borders. The EC3 will support EU member states and institutions in building operational and analytical capacity for investigations and cooperation with international partners.

Director of Europol, Rob Wainwright, said: "The threats from cybercrime are dynamic and rapidly evolving, but a revolution is now underway in EU law enforcement and the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) will be at its forefront. By building trust and establishing information flows between law enforcement and cybersecurity stakeholders, we will be smarter, faster, and stronger, ultimately resulting in a safer cyberspace for EU citizens and businesses."

The EC3 is hosted by Europol – the European law enforcement agency in The Hague, Netherlands.