Through this Opinion, the EESC supports the proposal by the European Commission to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech. It considers that the criteria set out in Article 83(1) of the TFEU for such an extension (significant developments in the area, a cross-border dimension, the need to act on a common basis) are met. The EESC therefore encourages the Council to adopt the proposed Decision in order to allow the European Commission to set minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and penalties in this area of crime.
Download — EESC opinion: Initiative to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech
The EESC laments the severity of the money laundering phenomenon in the EU. Current European legislation is largely inadequate in the face of coordination failures and national divergences, and therefore strongly supports the Anti Money Laundering legislative package, in particular the creation and design of the new European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) with direct supervisory powers.
Le CESE estime que la directive devrait présenter un meilleur équilibre entre les droits fondamentaux des personnes et la nécessité de garantir une meilleure application de la législation touchant à la lutte contre la criminalité et à sa répression.
Le CESE formule un certain nombre de recommandations concrètes, portant notamment sur les points suivants:
Download — EESC opinion: Rules facilitating the use of financial and other information in criminal cases
The opinion concerns two EC proposals, implementing the European Security Agenda: the proposal for a directive on combatting terrorism and the action plan against trafficking in firearms and explosives. The opinion is based on previous EESC work and its usual focus on protection of fundamental rights. The main conclusions concern the common policy against terrorism and the shared competence of the EU and the Member States, as well as the definitions of terrorist acts and types of them, terminology, the issue of anticipated crime and other risks of collision between security and human rights.
Download — EESC opinion: European agenda on security
