Is there a ‘European’ corporate criminology? Introduction to the Special Issue on European corporate crime
| Published date | 01 January 2020 |
| Author | Nicholas Lord,Judith Van Erp |
| Date | 01 January 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1477370819889163 |
| Subject Matter | Editorial |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1477370819889163
European Journal of Criminology
2020, Vol. 17(1) 3 –8
© The Author(s) 2019
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DOI: 10.1177/1477370819889163
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Is there a ‘European’
corporate criminology?
Introduction to the Special
Issue on European corporate
crime
Judith Van Erp
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Nicholas Lord
University of Manchester, UK
In 2015, it was revealed how software manipulation and emissions fraud were deeply
embedded in one of the most iconic European companies, Volkswagen (VW), as well as
in several other European car manufacturers (Ewing, 2017). In addition to confirming
concerns about the lenient EU regulation of diesel emissions, the discovery of the fraud
in the US painfully illustrated the complete absence of enforcement in the European car
manufacturing industry as compared with the US. Moreover, the VW fraud provides a
perfect illustration of strain (Agnew, 1992), as Volkswagen did not have the technical
ability to manufacture a ‘clean’ diesel engine that was at the same time attractive enough
to survive in a competitive global market.
The VW diesel fraud is only one example of European corporate crimes that raises
questions about the relationship between the globalization of markets and corporate
crime in Europe (Braithwaite and Drahos, 2000). In the case of Volkswagen, globaliza-
tion seems to have played a role both in the commission of crimes – because increased
global competition provided a motive to deceive consumers and regulators – as well as
in its detection – it was enforcement by the US Environmental Protection Agency that
brought the fraud to the light and led to inquiries in Europe as well.
Corresponding author:
Judith Van Erp, Utrecht School of Governance, Utrecht University, Bijlhouwerstraat 6, Utrecht, 3511 ZC,
Netherlands.
Email: j.g.vanerp@uu.nl
889163EUC0010.1177/1477370819889163European Journal of CriminologyVan Erp and Lord
editorial2019
Editorial
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