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The use of violence by criminals involved in organised crime is increasing in the European Union (EU), in terms of frequency, severity, visibility and impact. Most violence is concentrated in and around major transit points and transportation hubs used for smuggling goods, particularly drugs. At the same time, firearms are a key enabler of the increasing violence perpetrated by organised crime groups. Increased competition between rival criminal groups has led to a spillover of violence onto the streets, endangering and sometimes even harming innocent bystanders. This increases the threat to and impact on citizens' lives and society as whole. A particularly worrying phenomenon is the recruitment of minors into serious and organised crime and terrorism. Minors are increasingly used by criminal networks as a tactic to avoid detection, capture or prosecution. Even though Europe is still one of the continents least affected by organised crime, criminal networks are expected to increase their global reach, become more fluid and digitalised, and thus more open to diversity and competition. This may, in turn, lead to even more organised crime-related violence. The EU recognises the severity of the problem and the need for coordinated action to tackle this growing threat to security and prosperity. It has already initiated several measures to encourage closer cooperation between Member States and with international partners, as well as having adopted common legal, judicial and investigative frameworks to address organised crime in general and the related violence in particular.