EU: confiscation of criminal assets and use for social purposes, encouraging signals
FLARE
On 30th of November and 1st of December the Justice and Home Affair Council has met at the Council of European Union.
Gianni Pittella (center), Vicepresident of the European Parliament and Member for Socialists and Democrats (S&D) at the demonstration organised by FLARE. Photo: A. Reinoso
FLARE was there as well for a demonstration as promised. 40 volunteers, coming from 7 European countries have flooded the streets around the council with hundreds of flyers supporting our claim for the inclusion of the social re-use of seized criminal assets into the agenda of the Stockholm Programme.
Besides, we put “Confiscopolis” in place, the first game against organised crime, by making participate the people around Schuman square. Through this powerful mean we have raised and spread the interest for our initiatives among the citizenship and the friends who approached and supported us by their presence.
Thanks to FLARE commitment, the EP included in its resolution on the Stockholm programme an amendment by the LIBE Committee on this issue. This matter was also mentioned by Swedish Justice Minister Mrs Beatrice Ask together with the Commissioner, Mr. Jacques Barrot; both underlined the importance of this specific tool in order to hit the core business of organised crime. Watch video
All this is the proof of the specific gravity of the civil society into the struggle against organised crime, in co-ordination with different and complementary actions carried out by the European Prosecutors (MEDEL) and European Cooperatives (Cooperatives Europe) Networks, not to mention the enthusiasm and support brought by the European Youth Forum.
Former Italian anti-mafia prosecutor, Luigi de Magistris (left) is Member of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) at the European Parliament.
Moreover, we have received the support of the Swedish prosecutor Barbro Jonsson who commited herself to resume our claim to the Minister Ask. The role of the people must raise its importance to operate properly at the same time with the European institutions to continue on supporting bottom up process in order to achieve a real and effective European legislation on confiscation and social re-use.
On Monday 7th of December, during the meeting of the LIBE Commission met and we are confident that Mrs. Ask to raise again the question.
Finally, to have a clear understanding of how seriously the EU is taking into consideration the use of confiscated criminal properties for social purposes, EU Regional policy commissioner Mr Pawel Samecki announced at a press conference on December 1 that €64m will be made available between 2007 and 2013 to help re-develop property seized from the mafia.
December 1, 2009 | FLARE brought to Brussels the game "Confiscopolis" during the Justice and Home Affair Council, to raise awarness about the need to include the confiscation and social re-use of cofiscated assets into the Stockholm Programme.
24 Photos
Press review:
- Italy taps EU money in transforming Mafia properties (EuObserver)
- L’Europe insuffle une seconde vieaux biens de la mafia italienne (L’Echo)
- L’UE co-finance la reconversion de biens saisis à la mafia en Italie (Afp)
- L’Ue contro la mafia (La Stampa)
- Major support from EU funds helps fight against organised crime in Italy (Penki)
- Major support from EU funds helps fight against organised crime in Italy (europa.eu)
- Major support from EU funds helps fight against organised crime in Italy (EuMonitor)
