Justice & Home Affairs
EU to unveil plans for seizing Russian assets frozen by sanctions
The Commission is set to unveil plans on 25 May which will make it easier to confiscate frozen assets linked to serious illegal activities and suspected criminals, including those evading EU sanctions against Russia, according to documents seen by EURACTIV.
The EU must do more to protect Ukraine’s children
A common and uniform registration process and more national protection centres are needed in the EU to help protection children fleeing the war in Ukraine, write Dragos Pislaru and Adrián Vázquez Lázara.
Former Greek anti-corruption chief: Novartis scandal has harmed EU budget
The scandal involving Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis in Greece has affected the health budgets of other EU countries and the bloc’s finances, Greece’s former anti-corruption prosecutor Eleni Touloupaki told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Greece said it blocked hundreds of migrants from crossing Aegean
Greece said on Monday (23 May) it had prevented around 600 migrants from crossing the Aegean into its territorial waters from neighbouring Turkey, in the largest attempted entry this year.
Don’t extradite Assange, European human rights chief urges UK
European human rights experts have joined the campaign urging the UK government not to extradite controversial WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange to face trial in the United States, warning that it could have a ‘chilling effect’ on media freedom.
Europe turns into cocaine hub as multi-billion-euro market expands, EU says
Europe is increasingly becoming a hub for production and trans-shipment of cocaine to other regions of the world, in addition to being a major consumption market, EU agencies said on Friday, warning also about the expanding methamphetamine industry.
A special version of a stolen election – the case of Hungary
Hungary’s recent general elections present a different picture from the classic images of stolen polls characterised by ballot stuffing and large scale fraud. Instead, they are marked by an absence of a level playing field and systematic abuse of democratic institutions, argue experts from the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ).
‘Embarrassed to be British’ say Brits living in EU
Many Britons living in the EU feel disconnected from and embarrassed by their country since Brexit, according to new research published on Wednesday.
MEPs blast French presidency for skipping EU debate on Hungary and Poland
European lawmakers across the political spectrum lashed out on Tuesday (3 May) at the French delegation heading the EU Council for not showing up at a long-delayed debate on the procedure against Hungary and Poland for their alleged breach of EU values.
Denmark to seek Rwanda cash-for-migrants pact following UK lead
Denmark is seeking its own cash-for-migrants agreement with Rwanda a week after the UK signed its own asylum pact with the East African country.
EU urged to step up curbs on foreign spyware
The EU has been urged to step up its actions to prevent politicians, journalists, and activists from being hacked by foreign spyware following new revelations of politicians targeted by the controversial Pegasus software.
EU anti-fraud body accuses Marine Le Pen of embezzlement
The EU's anti-fraud body has accused French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and associates of embezzling around €600,000 during their time as MEPs, French website Mediapart said Saturday (16 April), quoting a new report.
Human trafficking raises alarm in divided Cyprus
Cyprus's frozen conflict provides fertile ground for human traffickers, with cases at "alarming" levels in the EU member state, and the occupied north is considered as bad as Afghanistan.
UK’s €150 million asylum deal with Rwanda set for legal challenge
The UK on Thursday (14 April) unveiled an agreement with Rwanda that will see them send thousands of asylum seekers to the East African country to have their applications processed, but the controversial deal is likely to spark legal challenges.
Ukraine is ‘crime scene’ says international criminal court as thousands flee
War crimes prosecutors visiting the site of civilian killings called Ukraine a "crime scene" Wednesday (13 April), as tens of thousands of Ukrainians fled their country in advance of a fresh assault to the east.
Is it better to breach EU law than run the risk of incurring US ire?
The Bank Melli Iran v Telekom Deutschland case is significant, because it highlights the intrusive impact of US extraterritorial sanctions and spotlights the weaknesses in the EU response, writes Dick Roche.
Explainer: How could Putin be prosecuted for war crimes in Ukraine?
US President Joe Biden called for the prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes over the discovery in Bucha of mass graves and bodies of bound civilians shot at close range, but various challenges stand in the way.
EU expects safety guarantees for new ‘ghost’ migration camp in Lesvos
Contacted by EURACTIV, a source from the Greek migration ministry said Athens said they had made it clear from the beginning that the new camp would be far from the urban environment.
Seven EU countries urge their citizens not to join fight in Ukraine
Seven European Union countries on Monday (28 March) urged their citizens to refrain from joining the Ukrainian military resistance against Russia's invading troops.
Brussels wants sanctioned Russians stripped of ‘golden passports’
The European Commission urged EU member states on Monday (28 March) to explore ways to strip sanctioned Russians and Belarussians of EU nationalities that were acquired in highly controversial "golden passport" schemes.
The illusions and perils of restrictive migration policies
The recent condemnations of the number of migrants pushed back at the EU’s external borders, the generalisation of migration control within the EU, and the new inflows following the outbreak of war in Ukraine interrogate the suitability of the current restrictive migration policies in Europe, writes Emmanuel Comte.
Car drives into Belgian carnival troupe, kills six
A car drove at high speed into a group of Belgian carnival performers who were preparing a parade on Sunday, killing six people and injuring 10 others, authorities said, saying the incident did not appear to be a militant attack.
NGOs sound alarm over trafficking of Ukrainian refugees fleeing war
As the number of people fleeing Russia’s war in Ukraine surpasses two million, NGOs on the ground in border regions have sounded the alarm over refugees, overwhelmingly women and children, being trafficked and exploited by criminals.