The European Group has been running for 35 years. It is a meeting place for academics, practitioners and activists who share critical perspectives on crime, deviance and criminal justice and other social control institutions.

The European Group functions through a Steering Committee of national representatives whoare responsible for distributing information about the Group and the annual conference(s).

This years conference (2007) will under the title: "Exploring Relations of Power" be held from August 30th - September 2nd at Willem Pompe Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.