European Sourcebook

1.  Third edition published summer 2006, last year reported 2003. On website next week.
The fourth edition has started, publication is expected in spring 2009 with latest year reported 2006.
While the third edition was a shortened version compared to the second edition (Prosecution and Victim chapter missing, Conviction chapter shortened), the fourth edition will again be a complete edition. It will probably even go further than the second edition, the main reason being the AGIS funding for parts of the Sourcebook activities.

2.  Under the terms of the AGIS grant the sourcebook project will:

·  Consider other crime types. It is not yet decided which crime types but could well be some (or all) of the 5 crime types on organised crime.

·  Update definitions and metadata on existing crime types

·  Completely redesign the Prosecution chapter

·  Redesign parts of the Chapter on Conviction.

3.  The time table will be:

·  In 2007 work on a redesigned questionnaire.

·  End 2007: presentation of the questionnaire in a conference with all (42) national correspondents.

·  First half 2008: countries fill in questionnaire.

·  Second half 2008: validation, preparing publication.

·  Beginning 2009: publication.

4.  How does this relate to EU/Eurostat activities?

·  At the moment and in the near future there is a clear added value in the sourcebook: suspects, prosecution, conviction.

·  Coordination is needed, e.g. in the definition of ‘new’ crime types, or in setting up EU prosecution or conviction statistics. This is achieved partly by having Eurostat as an observer at the sourcebook meetings. Also, the sourcebook group strongly suggests that members of the group participate in the expert group and in the working group.

·  The sourcebook group also suggests to look closely at the figures (and metadata!) now collected at Eurostat that should be the same as the sourcebook figures but aren’t. And to figure out why.

5.  After the 4th edition it is still speculation what will happen with the sourcebook project. It is suspected that EU/Eurostat will in the coming years also start collecting statistics in other areas such as prosecution and conviction. The sourcebook group would welcome this and the EU/Eurostat should make use of the work done by the sourcebook group in this areas.
Primarily the sourcebook project is a research project and not necessarily a collecting statistics project. What do the figures tell us about crime and the working of the Criminal Justice systems in countries?
However, the about 10 countries covered in the sourcebook that are not in the EU system should be taken into account.