Dear Readers, At the present time, the topics of fraud and tax evasion and, in general, the integrity of the single market are at the heart of the political agenda. Many of the issues under discussion concern my portfolio in one way or another. Firstly, I wish to mention the fight against fraud and tax evasion. This debate is not new. We can all recall the G20 meeting in London in 2009, where an ambitious political agenda was launched for the fight against tax havens and tax evasion in a broader sense. Recent reports have shown that the phenomenon is… Read more

Dear Readers, Nothing says more than the figures: $2.1 trillion is the total amount of criminal proceeds generated in 2009 according to UN estimates. Not only does money laundering facilitate corruption, organized crime, and terrorism, but it steals from all EU citizens. At present, less than 1% of the proceeds of crime are frozen and confiscated, proving that dirty money remains in the criminals’ pockets. This is why we must concentrate our efforts on dragging out this money if we ever want to get real results. Otherwise, dirty money will produce new organized crime networks, fund terrorism, or go to… Read more

Dear Readers, If the protection of personal data was ever regarded as a some-what strange subject for specialists only, this is no longer the case for three main reasons. The growing impact of information technology in all fields of life has had the effect that not only citizens but also all kinds of professionals are confronted with issues of personal data protection, whether they like it or not. At the same time, these issues are becoming increasingly global, either linked to the growing use of services available on the Internet by individuals, companies, or governments and becoming increasingly personal, as… Read more

Dear Readers, I am very pleased to introduce this issue of eucrim, devoted to the fight against organised crime − a very complex criminal phenomenon covering a wide range of serious offences threatening the security and fundamental rights of EU citizens, the proper functioning of business and public institutions, and the solvency of the economy and financial markets. To tackle organised crime and bring criminals to justice, competent authorities of Member States and EU agencies need to work together, align their actions, and ensure complementarity. Eurojust’s core tasks, ensuring proper cooperation and coordination, contribute to these goals, resulting in swiftly… Read more

Dear Readers, In 2009, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) − the Council of Europe’s body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the anti-corruption instruments of the organisation, including the Criminal and Civil Law Conventions on Corruption and three “soft law” instruments – celebrated its tenth anniversary. Three evaluation rounds have so far been completed. A fourth round is being launched in 2012, which will focus on corruption in the judiciary and in parliaments. Over the last decade, most of the 49 GRECO Member States have done much to improve their laws, institutions, and working methods to prevent and… Read more

Dear Readers, I feel very honoured that I have been asked to introduce this issue of eucrim. Having been appointed as Director-General of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in February 2011, I will devote my full attention to creating a new vision for the office and its dedicated staff while taking into account its sound experience as an effective administrative investigative service. OLAF’s strengths of both contributing to prevention policies and conducting investigations will be developed by further improving OLAF’s operational efficiency and internal governance. The central topic of this eucrim issue is “implementation of legal instruments” – a point… Read more