The private sector will be asked to contribute to new measures to combat organised crime under proposals to be introduced during Ireland's presidency of the EU.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, told a major two-day conference that opened in Dublin today that the type of co-operation in Northern Ireland between businesses and the police could be a model for an EU-wide initiative.
The conference, entitled "Tackling Organised Crime in Partnership", is the first of its kind and has is being attended by more than 300 delegates from both public and private sectors across Europe.
The Minister said he would introduce an initiative during Ireland's six-month EU presidency, beginning January 1st, to facilitate the establishment of partnerships between law enforcement agencies and the private sector in identifying the threat from organised crime and devising measures to counter it.
Mr McDowell said organised crime should not be viewed as victimless crime.
"It affects every person whose small business is undermined by the black market, every worker who has to be laid off because legitimate businesses are failing, every citizen who suffers cuts in public services because Governments are robbed of vital revenue through illicit trade and money laundering."