European Union

Howard Wilkinson, a Briton who blew the whistle on Danske Bank's Estonian money-laundering practices has asked Danish and Estonian authorities to protect him, complaining that his identity had been leaked without his consent by Estonian media, according to a statement from his American law firm. Berlingske, the Danish newspaper breaking the scandal originally, on Friday listed 72 Danish customers responsible for one percent of the total amount laundered.

The former British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, has re-entered the Brexit battle by proposing Theresa May negotiate a 'Super Canada' free-trade deal with the EU instead of the current 'Chequers' plan. In an article for the Telegraph titled "A better plan for Brexit", Johnson suggests a Brexit deal with the EU similar to the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to be signed in 2020.

A slim majority of voters in the UK - 52 to 48 percent - would vote in favour of remaining in the European Union if another Brexit referendum were held today, a study of the six most recent surveys by major polling institutes showed, reported Reuters. A grassroots campaign is underway for a second so-called "People's Vote" referendum on any deal premier Theresa May achieves with the EU.

When Turkish president Erdogan lands (after a day's delay) in Berlin on Friday, he will face a big challenge in softening a hostile German mood, after he accused German politicians of behaving like Nazis, and his jailing of German citizens in Turkey. Berlin's mayor Michael Mueller joined a growing list of people boycotting the official dinner on Friday while a "Not Welcome" demonstration against Erdogan is planned on Potsdamer Platz.

Written by Carmen-Cristina Cîrlig,

© 008melisa / Fotolia

In order to respond more effectively to the challenge of criminals and terrorists hiding assets in other Member States, in 2016 the European Commission proposed a regulation on the mutual recognition of freezing and confiscation orders in criminal matters. The directly applicable instrument removes the need for national transposition, broadens the scope of the current rules to cover new types of confiscation and includes provisions on victims’ rights to restitution and compensation.

Provisional agreement having been reached in interinstitutional negotiations in June 2018, the European Parliament is due to vote on the agreed text of the regulation in October 2018. The Council should follow suit shortly. The regulation will apply 24 months after its entry into force.

Versions

• September 2018: ‘Mutual recognition of freezing and confiscation orders‘ (1st edition)

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mutual recognition of freezing and confiscation orders Committee responsible: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) COM(2016) 819
21.12.2016 Rapporteur: Nathalie Griesbeck (ALDE, France) 2016/0412 (COD) Shadow rapporteurs:

 

 

  Salvatore Domenico Pogliese (EPP, Italy)
Emilian Pavel (S&D, Romania)
Monica Macovei (ECR, Romania)
Barbara Spinelli (GUE/NGL, Italy)
Eva Joly (Greens/EFA, France)
Ignazio Corrao (EFDD, Italy)
Lorenzo Fontana (ENF, Italy) Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: First-reading vote in plenary

The European Commission has decided not to impose provisional import tariffs on a flood of low-priced Argentine biodiesel until it gathers more information, although it considers the fuel to be subsidised and a potential threat to local producers.

The Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA on Thursday (27 September) received pledges of $118 million (€101 million) from donor countries to help it overcome a crisis triggered by US funding cuts.

Nationalism and a winner-take-all attitude are undermining the cohesion of Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, two days after US President Donald Trump rejected globalism and touted 'America First' in a United Nations speech.

The Kremlin on Thursday (27 September) cast doubt on photographs that appeared to show a suspect in the Skripal poisoning case was a Russian intelligence officer, saying that "many people look alike."

Romania's constitutional court ruled Thursday (27 September) that gay couples should have the same family rights as heterosexuals, a judgment that runs counter to a referendum next month seeking to interdict gay marriage.

The EU energy watchdog urged a Bosnian regional parliament on Thursday (27 September) not to approve a government guarantee for a China Exim Bank loan that is designed to help power utility EPBiH add a new unit at its Tuzla coal-fired power plant.

This week, Jeremy Corbyn comes to town, MEP expenses ruling raises a frown, and MP lemon tweet is totally shot down.

The leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said he had told the EU's Brexit chief Michel Barnier in talks on Thursday (27 September) that Britain's withdrawal must not disrupt trade across the Ireland-Northern Ireland border.

Former Eurogroup president and Dutch Finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem has ruled out a return to politics as a member of the progressive platform set up by French President Emmanuel Macron, although he supports the movement.

New EU rules on buildings and energy efficiency standards, adopted earlier this year, are “tough but fair” and will need to be implemented and enforced correctly, according to the architects of the legislation.

Italy's government on Thursday (27 September) targeted the budget deficit at 2.4% of gross domestic product for the next three years, defying Brussels and marking a victory for party chiefs over economy minister Giovanni Tria, an unaffiliated technocrat.

The Italian state broadcaster, Rai, has appointed a Eurosceptic journalist with a history of publicising fake news as its new president.

This week in Geneva, the Human Rights Council is expected to take a position on the follow-up to a draft Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other Persons Working in Rural Areas. Five years after the start of the negotiations, we are at a turning point, argues a group of European academics.

European businesses are rightfully concerned about keeping control of their data in the cloud. The proposed European regulation on access to electronic evidence by law enforcement (e-Evidence regulation) is an important step in the right direction, writes Kim Gagné.  

Addressing the UN General Assembly on behalf of the European Union, President Tusk supported multilateral action in a number of areas: trade, security, climate change and human rights.