Cecilia Malmström: Confiscation and social use of criminal assets “a concrete countermeasure”
PRESS RELEASE:
At the public hearing in place on January 19 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Ms Cecilia Malmstrom - Commissioner-designate for home affairs - answered questions about a wide range of topics.
MEP Rita Borsellino (S&D, IT) questioned Ms Malmström about the urgent need to improve the fighting against organised crime on a continental level. Ms Malmström said she would work with Viviane Reding, Commissioner-designate for justice, on the issue of confiscating mafia assets.
Ms Malmstrom said “this is not just an Italian problem but a European one, because organised crime knows no borders”.
Monica Frassoni at FLARE General Assembly on June 19 in Bari, Italy.
Ms Malmström also added how important it would be “to start working on the model of confiscation and social re-use of criminal assets”, a model in place in Italy for over 15 years now and that resulted to be a very efficient approach for involving civil society in the fight against organised crime.
Mr Claude Moraes - Socialist & Democrats Group Spokesperson for Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs, contacted earlier today by FLARE, stated: “To confiscate the assets of organised crime and to use them for social purposes could become a truly efficient measure in the fight against organised crime at a European level. On this matter, the Italian experience is a great inspiration.”
In the meantime, the third General Assembly of the FLARE Network took place on January 18 in Bari, Italy. On this occasion, Ms Monica Frassoni – former co-chair of the European Greens–European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament - accepted to become the very first Onorary Member of FLARE Network.
“The path you began two years ago revealed to be the right one – said Frassoni to FLARE members. “Your cooperation with European institutions has to continue now and I am honoured to give you my support”, added Frassoni.
Contact
Lorenzo Bodrero
FLARE Communication Department
P: +39 338 6948 738
E: lorenzo.bodrero@flarenetwork.org
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