News
News found: 2390 of 2390
Commission and US Government Reach Agreement on Principles of Future Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework
On 25 March 2022, the European Commission announced that a preliminary political agreement had been reached on the principles of the future framework for transatlantic data flows. New negotiations with the U.S. government had become necessary after the CJEU toppled the predecessor agreement, the EU-US … Read more
Thomas Wahl
EU
Data Protection
Report
Statewatch Report: Increasing Use of Biometric Technologies at EU Level Drives Forward Ethnic Profiling
The ongoing rollout of biometric identification systems is likely to see ethnic minority citizens and non-citizens subjected to a growing number of unwarranted intrusions into their everyday activities, says a report by Statewatch, published in February 2022. Read more
EU
Fundamental Rights
Data Protection
Conditionality Mechanism: MEPs Dissatisfied – Commission Takes Action against Hungary
In a resolution of 10 March 2022, the EP calls on the Commission to take urgent action and immediately apply the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism. On 5 April 2022, Commission President von der Leyen told that the conditionality mechanism will be applied vis-à-vis Hungary. Read more
EU
Rule of Law
Protection of Financial Interests
Spotlight Commission Publishes Guidelines on Application of Conditionality Mechanism
On 2 March 2022, the European Commission published guidelines on the application of Regulation 2020/2092 setting out the general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (the “Conditionality Regulation”). The guidelines explain more clearly and precisely how the Commission will apply the Regulation. Read more
EU
Rule of Law
Protection of Financial Interests
New EMPACT Cycle Started - Impact by War in Ukraine
January 2022 saw the start of the new EMPACT cycle 2022-2025 to fight organised and serious international crime. In March 2022, the French Council Presidency outlined the impacts of the war in Ukraine on the EMPACT policy. Read more
Cornelia Riehle LL.M.
EU
Organised Crime
Law Enforcement Cooperation
EBA’s Second Report on Performance of AML/CFT Banking Supervision
On 22 March 2022, the European Banking Authority (EBA) published the main findings of the second round of reviews of authorities’ approaches to the supervision of banks regarding anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). These review reports are part of the EBA’s … Read more
EU
Money Laundering
EP Pushes for Efforts against Corruption in the World
On 17 February 2022, the EP made several recommendation aiming at strengthening the fight against corruption in the EU and third countries. MEPs, inter alia, call for a comprehensive EU anti-corruption strategy and better transparency and accountability of public bodies. Read more
EU
Corruption
Spotlight CJEU Rules on Member States’ Liability in the Event of Losses of Own Resources
On 8 March 2022, the CJEU ruled that the United Kingdom has failed to fulfil its obligations in relation to customs control and the availability of EU own resources by failing to adopt the measures necessary to combat fraud with regards to undervalued imports of textiles and footwear from China. In particular, the UK had to take into account OLAF risk analysis tools. Read more
EU
OLAF
Protection of Financial Interests
French Council Presidency Wants Better Use of SIS against Terrorists
At the beginning of its Council Presidency, France initiated discussion of whether the post-hit procedure in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for alerts related to terrorism should be improved. It is proposed that all Member States having previously volunteered receive alerts on certain terrorists and are mandatorily and automatically informed of the hits. Read more
EU
Schengen
Terrorism
Law Enforcement Cooperation
OLAF and Belgian FIU Updated Cooperation Arrangement
On 23 March 2022, OLAF Director-General Ville Itälä and President of the Belgian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Philippe de Koster signed an update of their cooperation arrangement which was concluded in 2005. The new text takes into account developments in the legislative and operational frameworks … Read more
EU
OLAF
Progress on E-Evidence Package – Stakeholders Remain Critical
The French Council Presidency relaunched trilogue negotiations on the controversial EU e-evidence legislation. Positions between the Council and the European Parliament remain partly controversial. Civil society organisations meanwhile reiterated their support for the EP's positions. Read more
EU
Law Enforcement Cooperation
French Presidency Put Access to Lawyer on Agenda
Against the background of continuous attacks on lawyers, the French Council Presidency initiated a debate on protecting access to lawyers and the rule of law. In a discussion paper of 17 February 2022, the Presidency stressed the importance of the independence and professional integrity … Read more
EU
Rule of Law
Procedural Safeguards
Council Backs Commission’s Initiative to Extend List of EU Crimes to Hate Speech and Hate Crime
On 4 March 2022, the Justice Ministers of the EU Member States discussed the Commission’s initiative of December 2021 to include hate speech and hate crime into the list of EU crimes in Art. 83 TFEU (→ eucrim 4/2021, 221). According to the Council’s … Read more
EU
Racism and Xenophobia
EU and Latin American Countries Improve Cooperation in Fighting Transnational Organised Crime
On 3 March 2022, the Ministers of the Interior of the Member States of the European Union and Ministers in charge of security matters of the Member States of the Latin American Committee for Internal Security (CLASI) adopted a joint declaration on the fight against … Read more
EU
Organised Crime
Law Enforcement Cooperation
Council Adopts General Approach on New Schengen Evaluation Procedure
On 3 March 2022, the Justice and Home Affairs Council agreed on a general approach regarding the reform of the specific Schengen evaluation and monitoring mechanism (for the Commission proposal → eucrim 2/2021, 76). The new rules will speed up and simplify the evaluation … Read more
EU
Schengen
Commission Seeks Mandate to Negotiate UN Cybercrime Convention
On 29 March 2022, the Commission published a recommendation for a Council decision authorising the Commission to start negotiations on a UN Convention on Cybercrime on behalf of the EU (cf. Art. 218(3) TFEU). According to the Commission, this is to ensure the appropriate participation … Read more
EU
Cybercrime