International criminal legal counteraction to transnational crimes

The article focuses on international legal acts in combating transnational crimes. In particular, the article emphasised the significance of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime of 2000 and the Protocols adopted in addition to it (the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air; and the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition). It is noted that the mentioned acts are of fundamental importance for the definition of the concept of transnational crime, types of transnational crimes, “organized criminal group” concept, which is essential for the qualification of illegal acts. In addition, attention is focused on the need to implement the provisions specified in the above acts into the national legislation of the states in fight against transnational crimes properly. The acts adopted within international regional organizations are characterized, in particular, the main provisions of the acts of the Council of Europe (White Paper on transnational organized crime, Action Plan on combatting transnational organized crime) are revealed, which determine the priority of effectiveness in the fight against transnational crimes through criminal response. The provisions of the EU acts in combating transnational organized crime in the specified area are given (Action Plan to combat organized crime of 1997, Joint Action 97/827/JHA, Council Decision 2004/919/EC on tackling vehicle crime with cross-border implications, Council Decisions 2006/616/EC and 2006/617/EC on the conclusion of the UN protocol against the smuggling of migrants (by land, sea and air), supplementing the UN convention against transnational organised crime, Council Framework Decision 2008/841/JHA on the fight against organised crime, Directive 2014/42/EU on the freezing and confiscation of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime in the European Union, Regulation (EU) 2019/452 establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the European Union, Priorities for the fight against serious and organised crime for 2022-2025), it is stated that the adopted acts are aimed both at countering transnational crime and at protecting vulnerable areas of the Union’s activity. Attention is paid to the legal basis for combating transnational crime within ASEAN (the 1997 ASEAN Declaration on Transnational Crime, the 1999 ASEAN Action Plan to Combat Transnational Crime, the 2016 ASEAN Action Plan to Combat Transnational Crime (2016-2025). Relevant conclusions are made.