Associations
Since 1990, practitioners and academics have created a network of private organisations dealing with European criminal law and the protection of the financial interests of the European Union. As a consequence, today 32 associations from 30 European countries foster the cooperation of academics and practitioners from Member States and candidate countries of the European Union. The aim of this cooperation is to develop a European criminal law which both respects civil liberties and at the same time protects European citizens and the European institutions effectively. In this process, the protection of the financial interests of the European Union has been the motor of the emerging European criminal law and plays a vital role.
Since the 1990's, cooperation between the 32 associations has taken place especially in the form of joint seminars, joint research projects and the annual meetings of the associations' presidents. Beyond this, the exchange of information between the members of the associations is supported by the electronic journal eucrim since 2006.
Austrian Association for European Criminal Law Austria
Österreichische Vereinigung für europäisches Strafrecht (AAECL)
Centre for the Study of the European Criminal Law Belgium
Centre d'etude du Droit penal Européen
Association Croatia
Association Cyprus
Institute of Criminal Justice and Criminology (School of Law, University of Nicosia)
Czech Association for the Protection of the Financial Interests of the European Community Czech Republic
Asociace českých právníků na ochranu finančních zájmů evropských společenství
Danish Association for International and European Criminal Law Denmark
Dansk selskab for international strafferet og EU-ret
The Danish association was founded in 1991 with the aim of creating a forum for information and debate on issues related to international criminal law and EU criminal law. The association hosts 1-2 meetings a year – open to everyone. In addition, special courses for practitioners (mainly judges) are organized by the board members. Research is disseminated through university lectures; the purpose of the association is additionally fulfilled through the publication of articles in the Scandinavian Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology.
Estonian Association for Criminal Justice and Legal Protection of Financial Interests of the European Union Estonia
Kriminaaljuriidika ja Euroopa Liidu Finantshuvide Kaitse Eesti Assotsiatsioon
The Finnish Association for European Criminal Law Finland
Eurooppalaisen rikosoikeuden yhdistys ry.
Association of European Criminal Research France
Association de recherches pénales européennes (ARPE)
http://arpefrance.hypotheses.org
L’ARPE a été créée, en 1991(1), à une époque charnière de la construction européenne : au lendemain de l’emblématique décision de la Cour de Justice des Communautés européennes dite du maïs grec imposant aux États de donner effet utile au droit communautaire en prévoyant des “sanctions efficaces, proportionnées et dissuasives”(2), et à la veille de l’adoption du Traité de Maastricht qui a fait naître l’Union européenne, et en son sein, le “troisième pilier” (c’est-à-dire un cadre institutionnel et des instruments normatifs dédiés à la coopération en matière de “Justice et affaires intérieures”). Le processus de la construction d’un droit pénal européen se mettait alors en marche et appelait une recherche à la fois théorique et pratique pour observer les dispositifs mis en place, leur fonctionnement (et leurs dysfonctionnements), les soumettre à la critique, proposer des améliorations ou des alternatives, imaginer les contours à venir, notamment par des comparaisons avec d’autres parties du monde.
C’est cet objet que s’était donné l’ARPE, et qui est toujours le sien. Les activités de recherche de l’ARPE ont ainsi accompagné, anticipé les évolutions complexes de cette construction d’un droit pénal européen, de la mise en œuvre du Traité de Maastricht au nouvel objectif assigné à l’Union européenne par le Traité d’Amsterdam instaurant un “Espace de liberté, de sécurité et de justice”, ultérieurement renforcé par l’entrée en vigueur du Traité de Lisbonne qui affirme une compétence pénale de l’Union, sans oublier (l’Union européenne est épée et bouclier tout à la fois) la Charte des droits fondamentaux.
Depuis sa Séance inaugurale(3), au cours de laquelle s’était tenue(4) une table ronde consacrée à “La lutte contre la fraude communautaire : l’expérience française”, et son premier colloque, les 18 et 19 juin 1992, ayant pour thème “Les perspectives ouvertes en matière pénale par le Traité sur l’Union européenne”, jusqu’à celui des 9 et 10 avril 2014 sur “Le contrôle judiciaire du parquet européen” (sans oublier celui qui, en janvier 2011, en collaboration avec l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne et le Collège de France (Chaire de Mireille Delmas-Marty) fut consacré au “Droit pénal de l’Union européenne au lendemain du Traité de Lisbonne”), et, au-delà, par les différentes recherches achevées ou en cours(5), les quelques vingt-cinq années de travaux de l’ARPE ont été jalonnées par des Séminaires annuels, par des recherches collectives, pour certaines menées avec des associations ou institutions étrangères et/ou sous l’égide de la Commission européenne ou de l’UCLAF puis de l’OLAF(6), par des actions de formation à destination de magistrats européens(7) ou de juristes de pays n’appartenant pas à l’Union(8), par des activités d’expertise demandées à l’ARPE, ou à certains de ses membres par des institutions européennes(9).
Les activités de l’ARPE se sont ainsi inscrites dans la ligne que prévoient ses statuts, recherche, formation, expertise, avec la volonté d’une part de réfléchir sur le droit pénal européen, de participer par ces réflexions à sa construction, de le faire connaître en dehors de l’Europe, d’autre part de confronter cette construction européenne aux évolutions régionales et internationales du droit pénal, c’est-à-dire de contribuer à la recherche sur l’internationalisation du droit pénal. Et c’est en raison de cette perspective que l’ARPE a été, de 2010 à 2014, “Équipe accueillie au sein du Collège de France”(10) sur un projet intitulé Les internormativités dans l’espace pénal.
L’ARPE a toujours choisi, en effet, tout en gardant son autonomie, d’associer ses travaux à ceux d’autres institutions ou réseaux. Intégrée dans le Réseau des associations de juristes européens pour la protection des intérêts financiers de l’Union européenne, elle poursuit ses recherches en partenariat avec ses homologues européens. Elle est, par ailleurs, devenue composante de l’UMR de droit comparé de Paris(11), et certaines de ses recherches ont été menées conjointement avec d’autres équipes de l’UMR (par exemple, celles consacrées au droit commun). Elle travaille en partenariat étroit avec les réseaux d’internationalisation du droit (“Réseaux ID”) créés au Collège de France par la Chaire de Mireille Delmas-Marty (Études juridiques comparatives et internationalisation du droit), et a tissé des liens étroits avec les équipes de recherche en droit pénal des universités espagnole de Castilla La Mancha, italiennes de Ferrare, Milan et Naples.
(1) Elle a été créée le 7 juin 1991. Ses membres fondateurs étaient Mireille Delmas-Marty, alors professeur à l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (qui présidera l’ARPE jusqu’en 2004 et en reste président fondateur), Philippe Lafarge, avocat, ancien bâtonnier de l’Ordre des avocats de la Cour d’appel de Paris, Pierre Truche, alors procureur général près la cour d’appel de Paris, Denis Salas, alors juge des enfants du tribunal de grande instance de Nanterre, Laurence Guyon et Gilles Decool. Elle est, depuis 2004, présidée par Geneviève Giudicelli-Delage, professeur à l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Stefano Manacorda, professeur à l’Université de Naples II, et Raphaële Parizot, professeur à l’Université de Paris-Nanterre, en sont les deux vice-présidents.
(2) CJCE 21 sept. 1989.
(3) Le 16 déc. 1991, à la Cour de cassation.
(4) En présence notamment de Francesco de Angelis, Directeur à la Direction Générale du contrôle financier de la Commission des Communautés européennes, qui fut l’initiateur de la création d’associations de recherches pénales en Europe. Ces associations (il en existe dans tous les pays de l’Union européenne) sont réunies dans le Réseau des associations de juristes européens pour la protection des intérêts financiers de l’Union européenne, soutenu par la Commission.
(5) Parmi les recherches des cinq dernières années, notamment : 1) Cadre légal des forces en opération, État-major des armées, Ministère de la Défense, sous la direction de G. Giudicelli-Delage et S. Manacorda ; 2) Corporate Criminal Liability and Compliance Programs, Commission européenne (Programme Justice), Universités partenaires : Università La Sapienza di Roma, Università Roma Tre, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (Équipe française sous la direction de G. Giudicelli-Delage et S. Manacorda) ; 3) Academic Network Against Death Penalty, sous la responsabilité de l’Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (S. Manacorda, membre du Comité de pilotage) ; 4) La victime dans le procès pénal après la Directive 2012/29/EU du 25 octobre 2012, établissant des normes minimales concernant les droits, le soutien et la protection des victimes de la criminalité– Comparaison des systèmes français, espagnol et italien, sous la direction de R. Parizot et L. Lupária (Commission Européenne, Programme “Justice pénale”, Projet Good practices for protecting victims inside and outside the criminal process ; Universités partenaires : Bologne, Burgos, Milan, Paris 1) ; 5) Dynamiques normatives du principe de précaution et métamorphoses de la responsabilité juridique, Recherche réalisée avec le soutien de la Mission de recherche Droit et Justice (2013 – 2016), sous la direction de G. Giudicelli-Delage et S. Manacorda (coordination de L. d’Ambrosio) ; 6) “Prison Overcrowding and Alternatives to Detention” (Commission Européenne, Programme “Justice pénale”, Universités partenaires : Castilla La Mancha, Cluj Napoca, Ferrare, Milan, Saint Louis de Bruxelles (Équipe française de l’ARPE sous la direction de J. Alix et G. Giudicelli-Delage). Pour d’autres informations, voir ici et là.
(6) Dans le cadre des programmes Grotius I et II, Falcone, Hercule, Justice.
(7) En particulier, l’organisation par l’ARPE (avec le financement de la Commission, Programme Grotius) de séminaires de formation destinés aux praticiens de la justice, en Italie (Frascati, mai 1998), en France (Paris, juin 1998), en Espagne (Madrid, novembre 1998), en Allemagne (Trèves, janvier 1999), sur le thème de “La corruption en Europe : approche comparée et coopération internationale”. L’École nationale de la Magistrature est d’ailleurs membre de l’ARPE depuis 1993.
(8) Notamment le Cycle de formation (“Le droit en Europe”) de jeunes juristes chinois, dans le cadre de la réalisation de la recherche “Vers des principes directeurs internationaux du droit pénal”, puis sur financement de bourses par la Communauté européenne.
(9) À ce titre, il faut rappeler le rôle éminent tenu par Mireille Delmas-Marty, présidente de l’ARPE, notamment dans la réalisation du Corpus juris et de son Suivi (on notera que, pour ce Suivi, sur les douze experts nommés, quatre étaient membres de l’ARPE) ; l’élection de Mireille Delmas-Marty à la présidence du Comité de surveillance des enquêtes de l’OLAF ; les expertises demandées par la Commission, par exemple, à Mireille Delmas-Marty et à Catherine Teitgen-Colly sur les sanctions administratives (qui furent autorisées, par la Commission, à les publier dans leur ouvrage, “Punir sans juger ? De la répression administrative au droit administratif pénal”, Economica, 1992), ou encore à Catherine Teitgen-Colly sur la transaction, en 1995, à celle demandée à l’ARPE, en 1993, par une parlementaire européenne sur la proposition de règlement abrogeant le règlement (CEE) 1468/81.
(10) Placée sous la responsabilité de Stefano Manacorda, elle se composait de jeunes chercheurs dont J. Alix, L. d’Ambrosio, M. Jacquelin, R. Parizot, J. Tricot, assurant ainsi la continuité et le renouvellement de la recherche pénale.
(11) L’UMR de droit comparé de Paris (UMR n° 8103, CNRS – Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) a été créée en 1997 par Mireille Delmas-Marty. Elle a été dirigée, à partir de 2002, par Hélène Ruiz Fabri, puis Dominique Rousseau, professeurs à l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Association Georgia
Association for European Criminal Law Germany
Vereinigung für Europäisches Strafrecht e.V.
The German Association for European Criminal Law was founded in 1990 by Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sieber, at that time professor for criminal law, European criminal law and computer law at the University of Würzburg. Its main activity focuses on the eucrim project.
European Lawyers Association for the protection of the financial interests of the European Community Greece
Ένωση Ευρωπαίων Νομικών Ελλάδος για την προστασία των οικονομικών συμφερόντων της Ευρωπαϊκής Κοινότητας
Association of Hungarian Lawyers for the European Criminal Law Hungary
Magyar Jogászok az Európai Büntetőjogért Egyesület
Centre for Criminal Tax Law, Turin Italy
CENTRO DI DIRITTO PENALE TRIBUTARIO (C.D.P.T.) – TORINO
http://www.dirittopenaletributario.net
Centre for the Study of European and Comparative Criminal Law Italy
Centro studi di Diritto Penale Europeo e comparato (CEDIPE)
The purpose of the association is to study, research and publicly debate, in special collaboration with other similar associations of European Union lawyers and with the publications edited by them, criminal law issues in the field of criminal law in the countries of the European Union, by comparing the laws of the countries themselves, in order to strive for their harmonisation.
It intends to participate, with autonomous contributions, in the cultural and scientific initiatives of the Commission of the European Union.
The Association also intends to strengthen cooperation with OLAF, to support the implementation of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and to promote coherent legislation on the protection of the financial interests of the European Union.
The Association also intends to contribute to raising the awareness of Italian jurists, magistrates, civil servants and economic operators about the need for the strictest protection of the European Union's Community interests with a continuous work of information and technical-legal support.
European Criminal Law Centre, Catania Italy
CENTRO DI DIRITTO PENALE EUROPEO - CATANIA (CDPE)
The European Criminal Law Center Association was established on 23 May 1997 in Catania. Its aim is to analyse and discuss the impact of the European integration process on Member States’ criminal law and the progressive development of a European Union criminal law. In order to do so, the Association promotes research activities, the sharing of professional experience and public debate. The European Criminal Law Center intends to raise awareness among legal practitioners and economic actors about the need to ensure adequate protection to EU interests. In this regard, the Association provides information and updates on the field through its own publications and activities. Moreover, it actively contributes to scientific and cultural activities launched and/or supported by the European Commission. In addition, it wishes to further the knowledge of European and international mechanisms for the protection of fundamental rights. In particular, a special consideration is devoted to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, with a view to encourage its use by practitioners.
The European Criminal Law Center includes among its members scholars, lawyers, judges, prosecutors, officials and university students. The European Criminal Law Center is also part of the European Lawyers Associations for the Protection of the Financial Interests of the EU network, comprised of 32 European lawyers’ Associations representing all EU Member States (except Cyprus) together with Switzerland and Turkey. This network, working closely with the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf), intends to establish and consolidate itself as a forum able to foster the exchange of knowledge and experience among European practitioners. Its ultimate goal is to improve cooperation among Member States and stimulate the debate about European integration in criminal matters, in particular through specialized publications, conferences, training activities. Comparative studies and research are promoted both at the national level, by each national association, and at the European level, thanks to the partnership between several association. The European Criminal Law Center organizes training and updating initiatives at regional and national level, in collaboration with local Bar Councils, in particular with the Bar Council of Catania and its Legal Training Center. The European Criminal Law Center collaborates closely with the Law Department of the University of Catania. In doing so, they promote initiatives aimed at raising awareness about the European integration process issues among students and young scholars. The Series "Pubblicazioni del Centro di Diritto Penale Europeo" collects monographic works and various contributions on the issues related to the European integration in criminal matters and the protection of fundamental rights at EU and international level. It aims to comply with scholars’, legal practitioners’, officials’ growing need for awareness and knowledge about the increasing impact of EU law on National criminal law and the complex theoretical and practical issues that it involves. Established in 1997, year of foundation of the Centro di Diritto Penale Europeo, the Series currently counts a large number of books, that highlight the significant developments in the European construction, with particular attention to the implications that they have entailed in National criminal law. The published volumes show also the profitable collaborations with important and eminent scientific networks, Universities, Italian and foreign research centers; with professional associations; and with representatives of the main European institutions. It is worth to mention the support by the European Anti-Fraud Office of the European Commission (OLAF), through the Hercule program, to the Centro‘s activities and publications included in the Series. The combination of the theoretical-scientific dimension with the practical one that generally characterizes the Centro di Diritto Penale Europeo’s activities clearly results in the books published in the Series. The added value of such a transversal approach relies on the relevant interest that these volumes raise not only among scholars of criminal law, but also among legal professionals (especially judges and barristers whom many training activities organized by the Centro are addressed to). The reflection and analysis carried out on the issues of crucial relevance for the European project, with a mostly cross-sectional and multi-disciplinary approach, have been and continue to be an important contribution to the scientific debate at national and European level, as well as a useful update and follow-up instrument for legal practitioners, in particular with regard to initiatives and projects under discussion at the institutional level, while providing a favorite channel to influence these decision processes. Since 2016, the Series Pubblicazioni del Centro di Diritto Penale Europeo meets the requirements of the national evaluation mechanisms of the scientific research provided by the National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems (ANVUR) and the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR), providing for a committee of auditors, appointed to select the works to be included in the Series, on the base of criteria inspired by the quality and value of the proposed works.
Italian Lawyers' Association for the European Union, Rome Italy
Associazione Giuristi Italiani per l'Unione Europea (EURGIT)
Nel lontano 1990 veniva costituita a Roma, un'associazione tra magistrati, avvocati, procuratori legali, avvocati dello Stato, docenti universitari, studiosi funzionari dello Stato, dell'Unione Europea e di altri Enti, e altre figure ed operatori di elevata professionalità denominata "EURGIT (Associazione dei Giuristi italiani per l'Unione Europea)" - già "AGEI (Associazione Giuristi Europei - Gruppo Italia)" che assume la figura di Associazione apolitica, aconfessionale e senza fine di lucro. Tale Associazione, prima a comporsi all'interno di un network (Associazioni di giuristi per la protezione degli interessi finanziari delle comunità europee) promosso e incoraggiato negli anni '90 dalla DG per il Controllo Finanziario, ha mantenuto e sviluppato importanti collaborazioni con le consorelle rapidamente sorte nei vari Paesi membri, potendo fruire di importanti collaborazioni e finanziamenti da parte della Commissione Europea e OLAF.
Recentemente rinnovata nello statuto l'Associazione mira a costituire un centro di studi e di divulgazione del Diritto dell'Unione Europea, per sensibilizzare gli operatori del diritto e gli operatori economici e finanziari ai problemi:
a) della pratica attuazione del Diritto dell'Unione Europea;
b) dell'adeguamento del diritto interno al diritto dell'Unione Europea;
c) dell'armonizzazione, ravvicinamento e unificazione del diritto degli Stati membri.
I problemi indicati nei punti a), b) e c) sono in particolare trattati muovendo:
aa) dall'individuazione delle norme in contrasto con gli obiettivi dell'Unione Europea;
bb) dall'analisi delle tecniche di tutela degli interessi, in particolare finanziari dell'Unione Europea anche attraverso il loro diretto intervento, giudiziario, presso le Autorità degli Stati membri.
Per perseguire il suo fine l'Associazione può, tra l'altro:
- organizzare incontri di studio;
- promuovere ricerche;
- istituire centri studi e ricerche;
- curare pubblicazioni anche periodiche;
- creare contratti permanenti sul territorio nazionale tra i soggetti impegnati nella tutela degli interessi, in particolare finanziari dell'Unione Europea;
- collegarsi a cooperare con le associazioni degli altri Stati membri aventi le medesime finalità;
- Istituire una propria rappresentanza a Bruxelles per assicurare il collegamento permanente con le Istituzioni dell'Unione Europea.
Association Latvia
Association for European Criminal Law Lithuania
Luxembourg Observatory of European Law Luxembourg
Observatoire Luxembourgeois de droit européen asbl (OLDE)
OLDE asbl has regrouped several other national associations, including AERPE asbl, the first association in Luxembourg active in the field of European penal law, in order to offer a rallying point for all specialists interested in European law active in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. It covers all aspects of European law and, through at least two events per year, intends to foster a growing interest in this field of law. OLDE is member of FIDE. Its steering comity comprises i.a. the Luxembourg judges at the European courts in Luxembourg and in Strasbourg, representatives of the national corps of judges and prosecutors as well as of the Bar and the University, all of which had been active members of the former associations.
Association Malta
Dutch Law Association for the Study of the Protection of the Financial Interests of the EU Netherlands
Nederlandse Vereniging tot bestudering van de bescherming van de financiële belangen van de EU (Dasec)
Dasec was founded in 1990 as one of the first associations. Since then Dasec has engaged in many activities concerning the legal protection of the financial interests of the EU. First, several conferences were organised, for instance, on:
- The harmonisation of criminal law provisions concerning the legal protection of financial interests in the member states of the EU (1991)
- Administrative assistance in EU-fraudcases (1992/1993)
- Protection against VAT-fraud in the EU (1994) - Structural Funds (1996)
- Legal instruments for the protection of the financial interests of the EU in the post-Maastricht era (1997) - The Corpus Juris (1999)
- The legal protection against Euro-fraud (2000)
- The implementation of Kartel Regulations (2001)
- The European Public Prosecutor (2003)
- Transnational (OLAF)Inqueries in the EU (2005/2006)
- The influence of the EU on Dutch criminal law (2016)
- OLAF and the EPPO in the new institutional setting (2018).
The contributions to these conferences were gathered in conference books and other publications in, e.g. Agon and Eucrim. Beside, other publications were published, e.g.: the Corpus Juris, the legal framework for the European public prosecutor, extradition and the European arrest warrant and European law enforcement agencies. Members of Dasec frequently participate in activities of OLAF and/or other associations on the protection of the EU's financial interests. This has led to many contributions to, for instance, the debate and development of the Corpus Juris, the European public prosecution office, the legal framework of OLAF inquiries, the prevention and settlement of conflict in transnational investigations and the admissibility of OLAF final reports as evidence in criminal proceedings. On the national level Dasec is part of networks with the Dutch Ministries of Justice and Security, and Home Affairs, as well as members of the parliament and the judiciary and legal practioners that enforce the relevant laws on the protection of the financial interests of the EU.
Association North Macedonia
European Law Research Association Poland
Towarzystwo Badawcze Prawa Europejskiego
Portuguese Association of European Criminal Law Portugal
Associação Portuguesa para o Direito Criminal Europeu
Association for the Research of the EU Law Romania
Asociatia de Cercetare a Dreptului Penal European (ACDPE)
The Association's objective is to carry out studies and researches in the field of European criminal law and to protect the financial interests of the European Union, as well as to promote the exchange of experience between practitioners and academics at national and European level in this field.
Slovak Law Association for the Protection of the Financial Interests of the EU Slovakia
Slovenské združenie právnikov na ochranu finančných prostriedkov Európskeho spoločenstva
Slovenian Association for Criminal Law and Criminology Slovenia
Društvo za kazensko pravo in kriminologijo Slovenije
Association Spain
Instituto de Derecho penal europeo e internacional, Ciudad Real Spain
Derecho Penal Europeo
http://blog.uclm.es/idp/lineas-de-investigacion/derecho-penal-europeo/
Following the workshop on the future of the Associations (held on 16 September 2019 in Brussels), the Institute for European and International Criminal Law of the University Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) addressed its interest in becoming part of the network of Associations. The Institute has a long-standing expertise in matters relating to the protection of the EU's financial interests and European criminal law. Hence, the Institute became a second point of contact in Spain. More details about the Institute' activities are available at the Institute's website (Spanish only).
Society for European Criminal Law Sweden
Swedish Society for European Criminal Law (SSECL)
The SSECL has since a number of years ago ceased to exist as an independent organization. Individual members have however kept in contact and contributed both scientifically and towards the legislative process. Either an informal network or working as a group within other formal associations may be considered in the future.
Association Switzerland
Centre de Recherches et d’Application De Droit Pénal Türkiye
CEHAMER (CEZA Hukuku Arastirma ve Uygulama Merkezi)