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In a special report of 10 January 2019,the European Court of Auditors (ECA) details weaknesses in the Commission’s fight against fraud in EU spending. According to the report, OLAF’s administrative investigations resulted in recovery of less than a third of unduly paid funds. Furthermore, …

On 18 February 2019, OLAF reported on a successful international operation which culminated in the search and seizure of 400 tons of counterfeit shampoo with an estimated retail value of €5 million. The fake haircare products stem from China and were shipped to Latin America …

In 2017, over 180,000 legal practitioners (judges, prosecutors, court staff, lawyers, bailiffs, and notaries) took part in training activities on EU law or the law of another Member State. With this record number since reporting on European judicial training began in 2011, the EU already …

On 15 January 2019, the European Commission kicked off a policy debate on reforming the EU’s decision-making in taxation. This area is currently subject to a special legislative procedure, the Council being the sole legislator and deciding by unanimity. The European Parliament is consulted …

In view of the JHA Council meeting on 7-8 March 2019, the Romanian Council Presidency gave an overview of the current state of play of justice and home affairs legislative items. Criminal law-related items include, for instance:Legislative package on the interoperability of EU …

The British government has tabled “Regulations” that contain legislative amendments and regulatory measures in the area of security, law enforcement, and criminal justice. They “will provide legal and operational certainty.” by ensuring that the UK’s statute book continues to function effectively should the UK leave the EU without an agreement end of March 2019.

On 19 February 2019, the EP’s Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) held a hearing on “attacks on the legal profession and lawyers defending human rights.” The persecution of lawyers has intensified worldwide. Lawyers defending human rights and representatives of NGOs reported that the professional activity of lawyers is increasingly subject to difficult conditions, e.g., abusive infringements of professional secrecy or surveillance of client conversations.

On 28 February 2019, the Council appointed Eamon Gilmore as EU Special Representative for Human Rights.

At its meeting of 19 Feburary 2019, the General Affairs Council dealt with the Article 7 TEU procedure concerning Poland and Hungary. Statements of Member States on the rule-of-law situation in these two countries were cautious.

The European Union must take resolute steps to strengthen its own efforts to guarantee the enjoyment of all rights of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, including social rights. This is one of the main requests in an EP resolution of 12 February 2019 “on the implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in the EU institutional framework.” The non-legislative resolution was adopted by 349 to 157 votes (with 170 abstentions).