Security Union, Terrorist financing, EU-Turkey Customs Union, rule of law in Poland
In order to better protect the security of European citizens, the Commission steps up the fight against terrorist financing. It also proposes to modernise the EU-Turkey Customs Union and issues a complementary Rule of Law Recommendation to Poland.
Security Union
Commission steps up the fight against terrorist financing
The European Commission has adopted a package of measures to better protect the security of European citizens by strengthening the EU's capacity to fight the financing of terrorism and organised crime, delivering on the commitments made in the Action Plan against terrorist financing from February 2016.
The proposals will complete and reinforce the EU's legal framework in the areas of money laundering, illicit cash flows and the freezing and confiscation of assets. Presented alongside the third Progress Report on the Security Union, these proposals will ensure a strong and coordinated European response in the fight against terrorism financing and organised crime, bringing the EU one step closer towards an effective and genuine Security Union. The aim is to make it harder for terrorists and criminals to finance their activities whilst making it easier for the authorities to detect and stop their financial movements.
The package consists of three legislative proposals:
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-A Directive to criminalise money laundering that will set common minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the area of money laundering. This will make it easier and more effective for judicial and law enforcement authorities to pursue complex money laundering cases;
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-An update of the current rules on cash entering and leaving the EU: this will make them more robust and give customs authorities more scope to act when there are indications that cash is related to criminal activity;
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-A Regulation on the mutual recognition of criminal asset freezing and confiscation orders: this will make it possible to prevent criminals and terrorists from using their funds.
Reinforcing the Schengen Information System
In order to better fight terrorism and organised crime the Commission also proposed to strengthen the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the Schengen Information System (SIS), as announced in the Communication setting out the way forward towards the achievement of an effective and sustainable EU Security Union and as reiterated in President Juncker's State of the Union Address.
Consulted 2.9 billion times in 2015, the SIS is the most widely used information sharing system for border management and security in Europe. The proposed improvements will further enhance the ability of the system to fight terrorism and cross-border crime, improve border and migration management and ensure an effective information exchange between Member States to increase the security of European citizens.
Visa reciprocity with the U.S. and Canada
The European Commission is today reporting on progress towards achieving full visa reciprocity for EU citizens with Canada and the United States, evaluating the developments over the past five months. Since the last report, following contacts at political and technical level, the EU and Canada have agreed a clear timeline for achieving full visa waiver reciprocity. There have, however, not been comparable indications of progress with the United States, despite sustained efforts. The Commission will continue pursuing the discussions with the new U.S. administration.
Customs Union with Turkey
The European Commission asked the Council for a mandate to launch talks with Turkey to modernise the existing 20-year-old EU-Turkey Customs Union. The upgrade of the EU-Turkey trade relation forms an essential part of the efforts made by the EU and Turkey to deepen their relations in key areas of joint interest identified at the EU-Turkey Summit of 29 November 2015 and in the EU-Turkey statement of 18 March 2016. By making this proposal, the Commission continues to deliver on the commitments it has made. Turkey is the EU's 5th largest trading partner, and modernising the Customs Union to reflect current EU-Turkey trade relations would bring substantial economic benefits for both partners.
Rule of law - Poland
The European Commission discussed the state of play of the ongoing procedure concerning the Rule of Law in Poland and decided to issue a complementary Rule of Law Recommendation, taking into account the latest developments in Poland that have occurred since the Commission's Recommendation of 27 July 2016. The Commission considers that whereas some of the issues raised in its last Recommendation have been addressed, important issues remain unresolved, and new concerns have arisen in the meantime. The Commission also considers that the procedure which led to the appointment of a new President of the Tribunal raised serious concerns as regards the rule of law. The Commission invites the Polish Government to solve the problems identified in this Rule of Law Recommendation as a matter of urgency, within 2 months, and to inform the Commission of the steps taken to that effect.
Other issues
The European Commission today adopted its long-term plan to give fresh impetus to the management of the Customs Union, a basic pillar of the European Union which supports and protects the Single Market.
The Commission has today put forward a proposal which, if adopted, would enable EU Member States to apply a different VAT system to the rules currently in force across the EU. In order to protect the Internal Market, this derogation would be available only under certain strict conditions.
The Commission has registered a European Citizens' Initiative inviting the Commission to guarantee the right of free movement for "Europeans of good standing" within the EU through a 'Universal Instrument'. The European Citizens' Initiative calls on the Commission to identify an appropriate method of granting such an instrument, suggesting a unified laissez-passer document as an option.
The College of Commissioners was informed today about the latest developments in the Euronews organisation.
Finally, the College of Commissioners decided to reprimand former Commissioner Neelie Kroes for negligent breach of EU rules.