(Sir Europe - Strasbourg) - “On 23 May 1992, anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, her wife Francesca Morvillo, and their bodyguards Vito Schifani, Rocco Dicillo and Antonio Montinaro, lost their lives in a Mafia bomb attack in Capaci, near Palermo. Today, on the 20th anniversary of the death of the judge - who stood out for his commitment and dedication to combating organised crime - we deem it necessary to recall the high professionalism and moral stature of judge Falcone and to commemorate Mafia victims in the Capaci massacre. A letter to remember Italian judge Falcone, and the tragic attacks which took place 20 years ago, was sent to the President of the European Parliament by a group of MEPs of the European People’s Party, and was read out today in Strasbourg. A minute of silence was observed to recall Falcone and the people who lost their lives in the attack as well as all victims of mafias and organized crime. According to the letter “with the creation of the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering, the European Parliament becomes the first European institution to recognise the transnational nature of crime and its severe impact on citizens’ security and the internal market economy”. (continued)

The letter read out in the European Parliament to recall the victims of the massacre in Capaci (which bears the signature of the rapporteur of the Committee on Organised Crime, Salvatore Lacolino) also reads: “Only through police and judicial cooperation between member states and with third countries will the EU be able to develop an effective common strategy for the prevention and control of organised crime”. For this reason the European Parliament should “continue to promote the culture of legality” reminding “European young people of the sacrifice of courageous men and women with a great love for their homeland”.