About ENFAST

The evolving nature of cross-border crime has prompted national police forces in EU Member States to combine forces and use their expertise to ensure that it is impossible for fugitives to flee and escape punishment.

The international element of the search for fugitives has become increasingly more relevant in recent years with the enlargement of the European Union and Schengen area. The free movement of goods and people has been abused and taken advantage of by certain members of criminal organisations and perpetrators of criminal offences to evade capture by law enforcement, but ENFAST has been working steadily to track down and arrest these fugitives.

Since the beginning, ENFAST has received ongoing support from Europol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation. As part of this support, Europol hosts the Europe’s Most Wanted Fugitives website. This website is used by the EU Members of ENFAST to involve the public in the search for Europe’s Most Wanted fugitives.

In September 2010, an initiative was put forward to create a European network of national specially equipped and operational fugitive search teams. On 9 November 2010 the initiative was adopted by the Council of the European Union on the basis of the EU Council Resolution on ENFAST (No. 15382/10 ENFOPOL 300 COPEN233).

Each ENFAST Presidency spans a two-year period. Since the project began, the Presidency has been held by Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Croatia, Spain and Germany once again. The upcoming Presidency from 2026-2027 will see the first ever trio-Presidency with France, Belgium and Luxembourg (FRABELUX).