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News found: 2482 of 2482
Spotlight New EU Rules for Online Platforms
The European Parliament and Council adopted the legislative package regulating online platforms that operate their businesses in the EU. The package consists of the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act. The two EU Regulations entered into force in November 2022, however they will gradually start to apply in 2023 and 2024. Big digital companies must apply the stipulated obligations earlier. Read more
Dr. Anna Pingen
Thomas Wahl
EU
Legislation
Europol Signs Working Arrangement with Qatar
On 5 October 2022, Europol and the Ministry of Interior of the State of Qatar signed a Working Arrangement to prevent and combat serious crime and terrorism. Under the arrangement, parties can exchange information under a secure system as well as specialist knowledge, general situation … Read more
Cornelia Riehle LL.M.
EU
Europol
Commission Work Programme for 2023
On 18 October 2022, the European Commission published its Work Programme for the year 2023. Several new initiatives and ideas were presented in the area of justice and home affairs. Read more
EU
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
Commission
Appointment of New Administrative Director at Eurojust
At the beginning of October 2022, Evert van Walsum was appointed new Administrative Director of Eurojust. He will succeed the current Administrative Director Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, who has held the position since 2017. Mr Walsum's term of office will start in early 2023 and run … Read more
EU
Eurojust
Hit Against Investment Fraud
A coordinated action undertaken in November 2022 revealed a case of large-scale investment fraud using cryptocurrencies, with the estimated number of victims in the hundreds of thousands. Using dozens of call centres in numerous countries and hundreds of online platforms, members of the organised crime … Read more
EU
Europol
Eurojust
Cybercrime
New 2022 Rule of Law Index
According to an analysis by the World Justice Project, 4.4 billion people live in a country where rule of law is declining. The adherence to the rule of law fell in 61% of countries, the 2022 WJP Rule of Law Index says. Read more
Fundamental Rights
Rule of Law
Human Rights Issues
AG: EAW Can be Refused if Proceedings Revoking Suspension Were Conducted in absentia
According to AG Ćapeta, a European Arrest Warrant can be refused if the person concerned was absent in the proceedings revoking the suspension of the prison sentence or in the proceedings finding guilt and determining the sentence for the second offence that triggered the revocation. However, this is under the condition that no exceptional case as defined in Art. 4a(1)(a)-(d) applies in the case at issue. Read more
EU
European Arrest Warrant
Spotlight EncroChat Turns into a Case for the CJEU
The Regional Court of Berlin referred several questions to the CJEU on the activities of law enforcement authorities in conjunction with the cracking of the EncroChat communications service. They relate to the interpretation of the EIO Directive. The Berlin court believes that the collection of data in the EncroChat operation was unlawful and that the data cannot be used as evidence in German criminal proceedings against persons who used EncroChat for criminal activities. Read more
EU
Organised Crime
European Investigation Order
Law Enforcement Cooperation
Spotlight CJEU: EU’s Double Jeopardy Ban also Applies to Non-EU Citizens and Blocks Extradition to Third Countries
On 28 October 2022, the CJEU held that a Serbian (a third country national) cannot be extradited from Germany to the United States if he had already been convicted for the same acts as those in the extradition request in another EU country (here: Slovenia). Art. 54 CISA also applies to non-EU citizens and must be taken into consideration even though a bilateral extradition treaty had limited the principle ne bis in idem to judgments handed down in the requested State only. Read more
EU
Ne bis in idem
AG: Reservation in Relation to Application of ne bis in idem Principle Incompatible with Art. 50 CFR
According to an opinion of 20 October 2022 by AG Szpunar, declarations made on the basis of Art. 55(1) CISA, which permit Member States to make exceptions from the ban of double jeopardy in Art. 54 CISA, no longer apply. They are not provided for by law and, moreover, Art. 55(1) CISA does not respect the essence of the principle ne bis in idem. The declarations should be put to rest. Read more
EU
Ne bis in idem
AG: Data Retention for the Prosecution of Copyright Offences Permitted
In a case concerning French legislation on the access of retained data for the purposes of combating copyright infringements on the internet, AG Szpunar took the view that access to civil identity data linked to IP addresses is compatible with EU law if such data are the only means to identify a suspect. Read more
EU
Data Protection
Spotlight CJEU: French Legislation on Data Retention for the Purpose of Combating Market Abuse Offences Unlawful
On 20 September 2022, the CJEU decided that French legislation providing for the general and indiscriminate retention of traffic data for the purpose of combating market abuse offences is incompatible with EU law. In addition, a national court cannot restrict the temporal effects of a declaration that national legislation providing for such retention is invalid. Read more
EU
Data Protection
ECA Gives its Opinion on Recast of Financial Regulation
In its Opinion 6/2022, the ECA welcomes several proposals made by the Commission to recast the EU's Financial Regulation. However, the auditors also raise critical points, such as the fact that the proposal does not tackle the insufficient reporting on the Commission's debt management. Read more
EU
Protection of Financial Interests
Spotlight CJEU: German Rules on Data Retention Not in Line with EU Law
On 20 September 2022, the CJEU (Grand Chamber) ruled that the German legislation on data retention is incompatible with EU law. The judges in Luxembourg reiterated that EU law precludes national legislative measures which provide, on a preventive basis, for the purposes of combating serious crime and preventing serious threats to public security, for the general and indiscriminate retention of traffic and location data. Read more
EU
Data Protection
Justice and Home Affairs Council Meeting in October 2022
On 13-14 October 2022, the Justice and Home Affairs Council met in Luxembourg. The war in Ukraine was again in the focus. Topics included the judicial responses and the fight against impunity in Ukraine, the situation of Ukrainian refugees in the EU and the implications of the war on internal security. In addition, the ministers discussed several other justice and home affairs topics. Read more
EU
Council
Council Debates Impact of Judicial Training on Rule of Law
At their meeting on 13 October 2022, the Minister of Justice of the EU Member States discussed a note from the Czech Council Presidency that deals with judicial training and its impact on access to justice in the context of the rule of law. Read more
EU
Fundamental Rights
Rule of Law