Revision of the EU rules on asset recovery and confiscation [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Carmen-Cristina Cîrlig (1st edition).

The confiscation of criminals’ illicit profits is considered an effective tool in the fight against organised crime, identified as a major threat to EU security. However, despite the comprehensive set of EU rules on asset freezing and confiscation, there are still obstacles on the path to recovering criminal assets, as shown by the European Commission’s June 2020 evaluation of the 2014 directive on freezing and confiscation of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime and the 2007 Council decision on asset recovery offices (AROs).

To address this situation, in May 2022 the European Commission adopted a proposal to amend the 2014 directive with a view to strengthening the EU’s asset recovery and confiscation rules and reinforcing the powers of AROs.

The European Economic and Social Committee adopted its opinion on the proposal on 14 December 2022. In the European Parliament, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs is in charge of the file and published its draft report on 14 February 2023.

Versions

• March 2023: Revision of the EU rules on asset recovery and confiscation (1st edition)