The European Parliament wants new rules to tackle organised crime and corruption, as well as initiatives to freeze the assets of criminal groups.
In a non-binding resolution drafted by Laura Ferrara (EFDD, Italy) and adopted by large majority on Tuesday 25 October, MEPs want a European action plan for tackling organised crime, fraud and corruption. They also underline the necessity of police and legal cooperation between member states.
In the field of corruption, the European Commission is called upon to draw up a black list of companies that have links with organised crime or that are involved in corrupt activities. These companies should not be allowed to operate with public authorities or authorities that benefit from European funds, the European Parliament states. The Parliament would also like specialised units to be set up at the European Police Cooperation Agency (Europol) (see EUROPE 11549).
People found guilty of corruption or organised crime should be declared ineligible or forbidden to work in public or European administrations.
Freezing assets. The resolution also highlights the need to have efficient instruments available for freezing the assets of criminal groups and reusing them for social purposes. MEPs particularly want all member states to transpose the 2014 directive for this purpose (see EUROPE 11040) and the Commission is called upon to make a proposal for the mutual recognition of asset confiscation decisions. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)