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News found: 2070 of 2070
OLAF Helps Greek Authorities Seize Nearly 10 Million Contraband Cigarettes
At the end of May 2021, Greek authorities succeeded in seizing almost 10 million contraband cigarettes. The cigarettes were smuggled from China in suitcases. The action prevented the loss of around €2 million in excise duties and VAT. OLAF supported the operation by alerting the … Read more
Thomas Wahl
EU
OLAF
Tax Evasion
OLAF Involved in Operation against Eel Trafficking
OLAF participated in Operation Lake. This annual operation, which started five years ago, targets the smuggling of the protected European eel. The operation led to 52 arrests and the seizure of over 400 kg of eels valued at around €1.2 million. The authorities also detected new modi operandi used by criminal networks for the eel trafficking. Read more
EU
OLAF
Environmental Crime
Cooperation between OLAF and WCO on New Footing
On 7 June 2021, OLAF Director-General Ville Itälä and the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Kunio Mikuriya, signed a new agreement enhancing cooperation between the two bodies. The new “Administrative Cooperation Arrangement” widens the scope and operational possibilities of a … Read more
EU
OLAF
Customs Cooperation
OLAF Activity Report 2020
On 10 June 2021, OLAF published its activity report for 2020. The report highlights that OLAF’s work was much marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, when OLAF had to act against fake and substandard medical products which risked floating the EU market especially at the … Read more
EU
OLAF
CoE Committee Adopts Draft on E-Evidence Protocol
On 28 May 2021, the CoE Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY), which represents the State Parties to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, approved the draft for the Second Protocol to the Convention. It will enhance cooperation and disclosure of electronic evidence. Read more
Council of Europe
e-Evidence
Law Enforcement Cooperation
Organisations Reiterate their Demand for a Fundamental Rights-Based Approach to Future E-Evidence Law
Civil society stakeholders reiterated their demand that the forthcoming EU legislation on “e-evidence”, which will ease the cross-border gathering and transfer of data for use in criminal proceedings, must include strong fundamental rights safeguards Read more
EU
Fundamental Rights
e-Evidence
Law Enforcement Cooperation
AG: Prosecutor Has Limited Competence to Issue EIOs
AG Manuel Campos Sánchez-Bordona concluded that a public prosecutor is not entitled to issue a European Investigation Order (EIO) if the underlying investigative measure (here: collection of traffic and location data associated with telecommunications) can only be ordered by a court in purely domestic cases. Read more
EU
European Investigation Order
Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement between EU and Japan to Be Revised
On 1 June 2021, the Commission submitted a recommendation to the Council in which it seeks authorisation to open negotiations with Japan in order to amend the EU-Japan Agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. The Agreement entered into force on 2 January 2011. … Read more
EU
Judicial Cooperation
Data Protection
Spotlight CJEU Judgment on Compatibility of Interpol Searches and Arrests with Ne bis in idem Principle
States that are party to the Schengen Agreement can refuse to follow an Interpol red notice seeking extradition of an individual to a third country if he/she has already been finally tried in one of the Schengen States. The CJEU delivered this groundbreaking judgment on 12 May 2021 in Case C-505/19. Read more
EU
Judicial Cooperation
Police Cooperation
Data Protection
Ne bis in idem
Eurojust’s Report on Impact of COVID-19 on Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters
On 17 May 2021, Eurojust published its report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters. With this report, Eurojust intended to identify specific difficulties in the application of the most widely used instruments of judicial cooperation resulting from the Covid-19 … Read more
Dr. Anna Pingen
EU
Corona
Eurojust
Judicial Cooperation
Commission Seeks to Improve EU Law-Making Process
On 19 April 2021, the Commission adopted a Communication on Better Regulation, aiming to improve the EU’s law-making process by simplifying the EU legislation and reducing its burden. The Commission will therefore: The Commission stressed that an improvement of the EU law-making process can … Read more
EU
Legislation
Commission
Parliament Criticises Informal Agreements on Border Control, Fight against THB, and Return/Readmission of Irregular Migrants
On 19 May 2021, the European Parliament adopted a report making recommendations on human rights protection within the framework of the EU’s external asylum and migration policy. The Parliament criticised the practice of the EU and several Member States that have been entering into an … Read more
EU
Fundamental Rights
Commission Rejects UK Application to Join Lugano Convention
With Brexit and the end of the United Kingdom’s EU membership, the 2007 Convention on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (Lugano Convention) no longer applies to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). On … Read more
EU
Commission
Judicial Cooperation
Law Enforcement Cooperation
CCBE: Position Papers
On 26 March 2021, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) held an online Standing Committee during which several position papers were adopted. Among them: The CCBE adopted its comments on the Communication on the Digitalisation of Justice in the EU. … Read more
EU
Judicial Cooperation
Parliament Approves Interinstitutional Agreement on Mandatory Transparency Register for Lobbyists
On 27 April 2021, the European Parliament adopted a decision on the conclusion of an interinstitutional agreement between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register. The text was adopted with 645 votes in … Read more
EU
Legislation
Commission to Strengthen EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings
On 14 April 2021, the Commission published a Communication on the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings. By identifying key priorities and proposing concrete actions, the Commissions aims to combat trafficking in human beings more effectively. The Commission made clear that the … Read more
EU
Commission
Trafficking in Human Beings