Brussels is, 12/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday in Strasbourg, MEPs endorsed the initial efforts of the temporary committee on tackling criminal gangs, organised crime and corruption in the EU (CRIM). in adopting the resolution by Salvatore Iacolino (EPP, Italy), MEPs gave their approval to a series of recommendations, including a European protection programme for informants or witnesses of organised crime, a ban on being able to participate in public tenders for five years after being found guilty of a serious crime and a harmonised definition of the notion of the crime of involvement in a mafia-type organisation. MEPs also insisted that banking secrecy be halted and that anyone convicted of corruption be banned from standing in elections for a public post in the EU for a minimum period of five years.
In order to protect informants, MEPs would like the Commission to bring forward a legislative proposal, which, according to the resolution, would help to draw up “a European programme for protecting witnessess and informants. This proposal aims to set up a European prosecutor's office, which should also be operational before September 2013”. The common definition of organised crime is also expected to underline the “entrepreneurial vocation” of the organised criminal gangs and their “powers of intimidation”, and will also include the crime of involvement in a mafia-type organisation. According to Commission estimates, revenues generated by criminal activities on an international scale equate to 3.6% of global GDP, while the cost of corruption in the EU is the equivalent of 1% of European GDP. (SP/transl.fl)