8525/20 8525/20 ADD 1 REPORT from the COMMISSION to the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT and the COUNCIL Asset Recovery and Confiscation
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8525/20 8525/20 ADD 1 REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Asset recovery and confiscation: Ensuring that crime does not pay [COM(2020) 217 final] ANNEX to the REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Asset recovery and confiscation: Ensuring that crime does not pay [COM(2020) 217 final] Submitted by Home Office on 17 September 2020 SUBJECT MATTER 1. This is a report by the European Commission on implementation of EU Directive 2014/42 (“the Directive) on the freezing and confiscation of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime in the European Union. The aim of the Directive is to set minimum rules for the freezing and confiscation of property, as well as the management of that property. The report sets out progress made by Member States in implementing the Directive, concluding that 23 of the 26 Member States who are a party to the Directive have satisfactorily implemented it. The remaining three Member States are the subject of ongoing infringement proceedings for non-communication of transposition. The UK is not a party to the Directive. 2. At section 3 the report considers whether there is scope and/or benefit for further EU measures with regard to non-conviction based confiscation. It sets out that, whilst there are a number of different approaches to non-conviction based confiscation across the EU Member States, there is insufficient evidence to make a full assessment at this time. Nevertheless the report suggest there is potential benefit to further measures in this area. 3. Section 4 of the report considers the work of Asset Recovery Offices (AROs), which facilitate the tracing and identification of assets. EU Member States were required to set up AROs under Council Decision 2007/845/JHA (“the Council Decision”. The report details the increased information exchange between Member States’ AROs in the 8 years to 2019 (from 539 exchanges in 2011 to 7,659 in 2019) and outlines some of the issues AROs face as a consequence of this increase. 4. Finally, the report lists a number of international instruments relevant to asset recovery, including two United Nations (UN) Conventions – the 2000 UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and the 2003 Convention Against Corruption – the Council of Europe’s 2005 Warsaw Convention on Money Laundering, as well as the Financial Action Task Force standards. 5. The report concludes with the Commission committing to assess the potential for revision of both the Directive and the Council Decision to make them more effective. 6. The annex lists the offences that apply to the Directive. SCRUTINY HISTORY 7. Directive 2014/42/EU was subject to scrutiny as document reference 7641/12, COM(12)85 (Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the freezing and confiscation of proceeds of crime in the European Union). The Home Office submitted an EM on this proposal on 26 March 2012. Following submission, the Commons European Scrutiny Committee reported on 6 occasions that the proposal raised issues of legal and political importance and completed scrutiny on 25 November 2015 in report 10, 15/16. The Lords European Union Committee also held the proposal under scrutiny and was subject of a report which was debated on 22 May 2012. MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY 8. Responsibility for policy relating to asset recovery and confiscation rests with the Home Secretary. INTEREST OF THE DEVOLVED ADMINISTRATIONS 9. The Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice has responsibility in Scotland, and the Minister for the Department of Justice has responsibility in Northern Ireland, for devolved JHA matters. LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL ISSUES i. Legal basis 10. This report is not a legislative instrument. ii. European Parliament Procedure 11. Not applicable. iii. Voting procedure 12. Not applicable to this report. iv. Impact on United Kingdom Law (including the impact on retained law, application of EU law during the transition period and under the Northern Ireland protocol) 13. Not applicable to this report. v. Application to Gibraltar 14. Not applicable to this report. vi. Fundamental rights analysis 15. Not applicable. APPLICATION TO THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA 16. The report does not apply to the European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway). SUBSIDIARITY 17. Not applicable – this is not a legislative proposal. POLICY IMPLICATIONS 18. The UK is no longer an EU Member State from 11.00 pm on 31 January 2020. The Withdrawal Agreement (WA) concluded by the UK and EU provides for a ‘transition or implementation period’ to run from that day until 31 December 2020. During this period, EU law continues to apply to and in the UK in much the same way it did whilst the UK was a Member State. 19. The section of the report dealing with implementation of Directive 2014/42/EU is a factual assessment of the measures taken in each EU Member State to implement that Directive. As the UK does not participate in the Directive, there is little of direct relevance. 20. There will be interest in any additional measures the Commission considers with regard to non-conviction based confiscation. However, the Commission notes there is wide variety in Member States’ approach to non-conviction based confiscation and does not make any specific recommendations. The Government continues to encourage EU Member States to give due consideration to civil measures (non-conviction based confiscation) that may be used to recover assets and to recognise UK civil orders where possible. This gives law enforcement a further tool to tackle criminal assets. 21. The UK currently participates in Council Decision 2007/845/JHA on Asset Recovery Offices. The UK’s future relationship is subject to negotiation between the UK and the EU. The UK is seeking to increase its work on asset tracing, working cooperatively with EU Member States and the National Economic Crime Centre’s Illicit Finance Strategy reinforces this area of work as a priority. The Commission report outlines previous discussions on possible areas of improvement to cooperation between Asset Recovery Offices and commits to explore these further. The Government continues to monitor developments in this area. 22. The UK is fully committed to recovering criminally-obtained assets. Our continuing aim is to leave no safe space for organised criminals to operate: targeting the proceeds of their crimes is key to disrupting and deterring them. The UK seeks to offer the widest measure of assistance to our international partners and is committed to assisting investigative, prosecution and judicial authorities in combatting international crime and the recovery of criminal assets. CONSULTATION 23. No consultation outside Government and the aforementioned Devolved Administrations. IMPACT ASSESSMENT 24. There is no direct legislative impact arising from this Communication. No Impact Assessment has been undertaken. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 25. There are no direct financial implications for the UK as a result of the report. Should future measures be brought forward these will be assessed when proposals are made. TIMETABLE FOR ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION IN THE UK 26. Not applicable OTHER OBSERVATIONS 27. None MINISTERIAL NAME AND SIGNATURE RT Hon James Brokenshire MP Minister of State for Security .