The EPP group in the European parliament says Europe must be better equipped to fight criminal networks and their attempts to launder their ill-gotten gains. There must be no sanctuary in Europe for organised crime’s dirty money”, stated EPP Group MEPs Emil Radev and David Casa ahead of today’s debate in the European Parliament on…
On 30 June, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress adopted the National Security Law in Hong Kong, which came into effect that day, the 23rd anniversary of the city´s handover to China from British rule. Under the law approved by mainland China´s legislature in May, Beijing will have sweeping new powers to impose…
The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament have condemned the adoption by China of a highly controversial national security law, a move that undermines the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle that followed the end of British rule in 1997, leading to further escalations and endangering the status of the city. Once again, the S&Ds strongly condemn the mass…
For much of the year, the focus of governments across the world has been on facing down the challenges posed by coronavirus – a global pandemic and public health crisis unlike any seen for a generation. This challenge has had significant implications for law enforcement and government oversight globally, with governments and regulatory bodies struggling…
Reinhard Bütikofer, Chair of the China-Delegation in the European Parliament and foreign affairs spokesperson for the Greens/EFA group, comments on the National Security Law: “By imposing unilaterally the so-called National Security Law on Hong Kong, the leadership of the PRC is destroying Hong Kong’s autonomy. The promise of “One country, two systems” has been broken…
The EU institutions have approved a law which would allow citizens in all EU countries to go to court as a group if they have suffered the same damage. Consumer groups have been advocating for such a law for more than 30 years. As a result of today’s agreement, access to justice for consumers will significantly improve…
A conference at the Press Club in Brussels heard last week that a group of six Members of the European Parliament had, independently of their political groups, written to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior political figures calling for them to overturn a legitimate judicial decision and grant asylum to a convicted fugitive. The…
The European Parliament has recommended that the EU and its members states file a case before the International Court of Justice, if China applies the new national security law they have proposed for Hong Kong. In a resolution adopted on Friday (19 June) by 565 votes to 34, with 62 abstentions, the European Parliament voted…
The European Publishers Council (EPC) welcomes the European Commission’s decision to open formal antitrust investigations against Apple who, through abuse of dominance, are undermining the ability of news and magazine publishers to have direct commercial relationships with their readers or to offer iOS-device users alternative cheaper purchasing possibilities outside of apps. The case will assess…
The Council today decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2021. The restrictive measures currently in place include prohibitions targeting the imports of products originating in Crimea or Sevastopol into the EU, and infrastructural or financial investments and tourism services in Crimea or Sevastopol. Furthermore, the exports of certain…
