Strasbourg, 12/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Parliament approved by 431 votes to 45, the new version of the Council's draft framework decision on freezing goods and evidence. The Council reached a political agreement on this draft and again consulted the European Parliament because the text had been substantially amended. In his explanatory speech, the rapporteur welcomed the new version of the framework decision. The first version of the initiative focused on only 6 kinds of infraction, the new version on 32. The rapporteur was pleased that the Council had taken into account, to a large extent, the amendments proposed by the European Parliament, which approved the main outlines of the paper, but suggested that the list, however, had no limits restricting it and would apply to all infractions. The EP is also requesting that verification of double criminality (liability in the country requesting incrimination and the country making the request) be ended for all infractions that are punishable by a prison sentence of at least two years, instead of the three years demanded by the Council. This aims to prevent a large number of actions from escaping from the field of application of the framework decision, explained the rapporteur, in justifying the amendment. The Parliament also wants Member States to apply this decision by 31 December at the latest. The Parliament had already given its decision on this initiative on 20 September 2001.