Contributing to the (Re)Construction of a European Identity in Criminological Research: The Role of the European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research

Ernesto U. Savona

In times of fragmented politics and converging criminal threats, the idea of “Europe” must be reimagined not only in political and legal terms but also in cultural ones. Criminology, as the discipline devoted to understanding crime, justice, and security, cannot remain confined within national silos while its objects of study increasingly transcend borders. It is therefore time to (re)construct a European identity in criminological research—an endeavour to which this Journal is committed.

This is not a call for homogenisation. On the contrary, Europe’s diverse legal traditions and criminological schools constitute a strength. Yet without a shared analytical space—conceptual, methodological, and empirical—European criminology risks remaining peripheral to the very policies that shape it.

A Slow Process of Shared Challenges

When I became Editor-in-Chief of this Journal in 2003, the European Union was in the midst of a historic enlargement, welcoming many Eastern European countries. Today, this process has slowed, interrupted by the war in Ukraine, but it will continue with future accessions from Central and Eastern Europe. Enlargement has transformed Europe into a laboratory for criminal justice innovation, fostering instruments such as the European Arrest Warrant, Joint Investigation Teams, and multiple directives in the fields of justice and security. Institutions like the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), and the strengthening of Europol and Eurojust, have further reshaped the governance of crime beyond national borders.

Yet the scientific foundations for understanding these phenomena remain fragmented. While policymakers tend to operate in “European mode”, also very slow, an enlarging number of researchers—through the European Society of Criminology and cross-border research programmes such as Horizon Europe—have moved beyond a “national gear.” Against these innovative approaches, the result is still a persistent mismatch between the scale of criminal problems, the scope of policy interventions, and the reach of scientific inquiry. We want to contribute to fill this gap.

Elements of a Shared Identity

What, then, might a European criminological identity look like?

• 1. Acknowledging our diversity in Europe as a value and developing comparative analyses that put diversities in one common framework.

• 2. Developing Shared Challenges – addressing not only traditional organized and financial crime but also environmental crime, digital crimes, and all crime-related harms, and the criminal governance of migration. These demand comparative frameworks and integrated data.

• 3. Investigating Common Legal and Institutional Structures – EU criminal law, mutual recognition principles, and pan-European agencies are not merely political constructs; they are scientific objects that require systematic analysis.

• 4. Promoting European Normative Values – proportionality, human rights, and the rule of law must anchor criminological inquiry, providing a critical voice when such values are threatened by populism, penal excess, or surveillance overreach.

• 5. Supporting Robust Empirical Foundations – interoperable datasets, cross-national indicators, open access to judicial and police information, and shared platforms for evaluation are essential to ensure comparability and reliability at European level.

• 6. Supporting qualitative research through technologies (text mining, A.I., etc.) that allow for organising qualitative information into reliable data.

The Work Ahead

Reconstructing this identity requires collective effort, including:

• Investment in European research infrastructure, such as data hubs and observatories.

• Support for European journals and publishing ecosystems to counterbalance Anglo-centric dominance, while remaining open to other global perspectives from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The European Summer School on Criminology could attract students from these regions, offering a specific session on how to write a scientific essay and developing further the mentoring acitivity.

• Greater mobility and integration opportunities for doctoral and early-career researchers.

• Stronger dialogue between scholars and EU institutions, especially those responsible for producing and evaluating criminal justice policies.

The European Society of Criminology, alongside national associations and research centres, must lead this cultural process. Equally, journals must position themselves as bridges between national and European scientific communities.

Looking Forward

The urgency is clear: crimes are flexible and borderless as the economy and our analytical tools must be equally agile. If Europe is to remain a space of liberty, justice, and security, it requires not only sound policies but also sound knowledge—knowledge that reflects both its diversity and its shared destiny.

Reconstructing a European identity in criminological research is not a luxury but a necessity—and a responsibility we must collectively embrace.

The Contribution of this Journal

Reflecting this commitment, the European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research has recently revised its aims and scope, placing stronger emphasis on its European identity while remaining open to high-quality contributions from outside Europe. We particularly welcome comparative approaches that capture Europe’s diversity while advancing the common goal of combating crime in all its forms.

We have also introduced a dedicated section on crime policies—long implied in the Journal’s title but less represented in its content. Here we publish short documents, notes, and commentaries on recent policy initiatives across Europe, aiming to inform scholars and practitioners while encouraging more evidence-based policymaking.

We trust that these changes will be welcomed by our readers and contributors, and we remain committed to continuously improving in this shared endeavour.