Following on from the conclusion of the Helsinki European Council, which called on the EU to follow up the 1997 action plan to combat organised crime with an EU strategy for preventing and combating organised crime, a new EU strategy – the Prevention and Control of organised crime – A European Union strategy for the beginning of the new Millennium – was approved by the Council of the European Union in March 2000. This seeks to build on the Tampere conclusions and ensure a continuing co-ordinated response to tackling organised crime at EU level.