RT Article T1 The incantations of the EU organised crime policy making A1 Duyne, P. C A2 Vander Beken, Tom 1968- LA English YR 2009 UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1588523071 AB This article provides an analysis of the knowledge base of organised crime assessments and policy making in the European Union. It is argued that the current European organised crime (threat) assessments are no reliable and relevant instruments to make meaningful statements about organised crime. The data collection system of the current assessments is defective and to a large extent dependant on what Member States decide to disclose and not based on clear developed concepts, definitions and methods. There is no discernable "counting unit" as a basis for deducing threats or risks. More fundamental: the definition or criteria list used is defective, providing no basis for further deductions or conclusions. The conclusions of the open versions of the European reports are of a very general nature, not substantially different from what can be found in open sources. Though European decision making claims to be founded on these assessments, it looks more like a ritual incantation than a CN 320 301 K1 Kriminalität K1 Internationaler Vergleich K1 Berichterstattung K1 Organisierte Kriminalität K1 Kriminalpolitik K1 EU DO 10.1007/s10611-008-9153-1