News
News found: 2070 of 2070
Illegal Tobacco Trade Operations in 2021
On 23 February 2022, OLAF informed of the results of its operations against tobacco smuggling in 2021 (for the results in 2020 → eucrim 1/2021, 14). In 2021, world-wide operations involving OLAF were able to seize over 430 million illicit cigarettes in total. The … Read more
Thomas Wahl
EU
OLAF
OLAF Support in Dismantling Fake Medicine Network
On 16 February 2022, a joint operation between OLAF and the Polish police dismantled a gang that dealt with counterfeit medical products, such as medicine to treat erectile dysfunction, anabolic substances and growth hormones. The value of the seized goods is estimated at almost €9 … Read more
EU
OLAF
OLAF JIT Uncovers Tomato Swindle
On 19 January 2022, OLAF reported on the results of a joint investigation team (JIT) involving OLAF, the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) and the Prosecution Office of the Italian commune of Enna. The investigations revealed practices of a criminal group that defrauded EU agricultural … Read more
EU
OLAF
CJEU again Finds Romanian Judicial System Flawed
The CJEU delivered a judgment on the Romanian rules and practice to hinder ordinary courts to assess compatibility of national provisions with EU law. According to the judges in Luxembourg, EU law precludes a national rule under which national courts have no jurisdiction to examine the conformity with EU law of national legislation which has been held to be constitutional by a judgment of the constitutional court of the Member State. Read more
EU
Fundamental Rights
European Court of Justice (ECJ)
CJEU: Judicial Statistics 2021
On 2 March 2022, the Court of Justice of the EU published its judicial statistics for the year 2021.Looking at the number of cases brought before the Court of Justice and the General Court, the year 2021 once again confirmed the upward trend with … Read more
Cornelia Riehle LL.M.
European Court of Justice (ECJ)
Eurojust Helps Unveil Major Fraud Case with EU’s Agricultural Funds
On 23 February 2022, Eurojust reported on the results of a joint investigation team that involved Romanian and Italian prosecutors and OLAF. The investigations dismantled an organised crime group which defrauded the EU of at least €800,000 in the sector of agricultural funds. The case … Read more
EU
OLAF
Eurojust
Protection of Financial Interests
ECA Report on EU Support for the Rule of Law in the Western Balkans
A report found by the European Court of Auditors found that, while EU action has contributed to reforms in technical and operational areas (e.g. improving the efficiency of the judiciary), it has had little overall impact on fundamental rule-of-law reforms in the Western Balkans. Read more
Dr. Anna Pingen
Rule of Law
Protection of Financial Interests
EP Adopted Position on Digital Services Act
On 20 January 2022, the European Parliament adopted its position regarding the proposal for a regulation on a Single Market For Digital Services. The EP amended several dispositions of the Commission proposal. Read more
Legislation
Data Protection
Commission Proposes Declaration on European Digital Rights and Principles
The Commission proposed a declaration with a set of principles that will serve as guidance for a sustainable, human-centric, and value-based digital transformation in the European Union. Read more
Fundamental Rights
Legislation
Data Protection
Assessment of the Current State of Data Innovation
A report by the Commission's Joint Research Centre assessed the current state of utilisation of data innovation in the scientific literature identified areas in which data innovation has the most concrete potential for policy-making. The report focused on the areas of demography, mobility, and migration. Read more
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
AG Opinion on Public Access to Information on Beneficial Owners
In his opinion of 20 January 2022, AG Giovanni Pitruzzella concluded that the fourth anti-money laundering (AML) Directive as amended by the fifth AML Directive is partly invalid. In essence, the case addresses the question of balancing transparency requirements with respect for fundamental rights. Read more
EU
Money Laundering
Spotlight AG: PNR Directive is in Line with EU Charter
In his opinion replying to a reference for preliminary ruling by the Belgian Constitutional Court, AG Pitruzzella concluded that, in essence, the EU's PNR Directive is compatible with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Only one point in the definition of PNR data in the Annex of the Directive is too broad and thus inapplicable. The duration of retention must however be limited to what is strictly necessary. Read more
EU
Data Protection
EP Study on Politically Motivated Interpol Red Notices
On 7 February 2022, the LIBE Committee discussed a study which analysed the EU’s possibilities to protect EU citizens from politically motivated Interpol Red Notices. Read more
EU
Police Cooperation
CJEU: Fines for Failure to Declare Assets Abroad Can Be Disproportionate
On 27 January 2022, the CJEU declared Spanish legislation, which allows the imposition of high fines if a Spanish tax resident failed to comply with mere obligations to declare or purely formal obligations regarding his/her overseas assets, not in line with the principle of free movement of capital. Read more
EU
Tax Evasion
Spotlight CJEU Dismisses Actions against Rule-of-Law Conditionality to Safeguard the EU Budget
On 16 February 2022, the CJEU dismissed the actions brought by Hungary and Poland that sought annulment of Regulation 2020/2092 “on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget”. The CJEU mainly rejected three pleas put forward by the applicants. The CJEU confirmed the legal basis, the non-circumvention of the "Article 7 procedure", and the compatibility with the principle of legal certainty. Read more
EU
Rule of Law
Protection of Financial Interests
Updated Rules Reinforcing Governance of Schengen Area
On 14 December 2021, the Commission proposed updated rules to reinforce the governance of the Schengen area. The Commission stressed that the Schengen area is one of the biggest achievements of European integration. It has been repeatedly put to the test in recent years by … Read more
EU
Schengen