Fight against organized crime and #corruption: New rules?

The Commission should review its legislation against corruption and organized crime to better equip member states in their fight against criminal organizations operating in the EU, say MEPs in a non-legislative resolution passed on Tuesday (25 October). MEPs call for initiatives such as EU-wide rules to seize assets from criminal organizations to re-use for social purposes and protection of whistle-blowers.

In the resolution, MEPs demand the adoption of a European Action Plan to eradicate organised crime, fraud and corruption as outlined in its resolution of 2013. They stress that this must be a political priority for the EU and that police and judicial cooperation between Member States is therefore crucial.

“Europe needs to understand the complex issue of organized crime and the danger arising from the infiltration of criminal associations into the social, economic, and political fabric of the member states,” said rapporteur Laura Ferrara (IT, EFDD).“The criminal codes of member states need to be fit for the challenge. This is why I call for urgent and incisive regulatory action at European level to provide law enforcement authorities with the necessary tools to properly fight organized crime groups across Europe.”

Tackling corruption

The EU Commission is also asked to draw up “blacklists of any undertakings which have proven links with organized crime or engaged in corrupt practices” and to “bar them from entering into an economic relationship with a public authority and benefitting from EU funds”.

Further, a specialist Europol unit should be created to combat organized criminal groups “which operate in several sectors at the same time” the resolution reads. MEPs also ask for common rules for protecting whistle-blowers before the end of 2017.

Find out more:

Adopted text will soon be available here (25.10.2016)
Video recording of the debate (24.10.2016)
Audiovisual material for media
EP Research Service: Organised crime and corruption - The cost of Non-Europe (March 2016)

EP resolution on organised crime, corruption and money laundering: recommendations on action and initiatives to be taken (23.10.2013)

Cracking down on organised crime, corruption and money laundering (Press release, 23.10.2013)

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