ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to give a picture of organized crime in Europe and its different forms of assessment. In order to be able to understand current views and perceptions, it will initially clarify how and when organized crime became a European issue and how debates about this phenomenon and its assessment have evolved in time and space (see also Carrapiço, Chapter 1 and Goold, Chapter 33). Then, and respecting the different perspectives and sorts of assessments on organized crime currently available within Europe, an overview will be given of what is reported about the threats posed by organized criminal groups, their impact on society and the vulnerability of the legal environment. Finally, an outlook will be presented about the possible futures of organized crime in Europe.
