French Initiative on Money Laundering Cooperation

On August 24, 2000, the French Government initiated the adoption of a Council Framework Decision on money laundering, the identification, tracing, freeing, seizing and confiscation of instrumentalities and the proceeds from crime. The preamble to the initiative states that the principle of mutual recognition should also apply to pre-trial orders, especially to those that would enable competent authorities quickly to secure evidence and to seize assets that are easily movable. The European Council, noting that serious forms of crime increasingly have tax and duty aspects, calls on EU Members to provide full mutual legal assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this type of crime. The preamble notes the call by the European Council for the approximation of criminal law and procedures on money laundering, adding that the scope of criminal activities that constitute principal offenses for money laundering should be uniform and sufficiently broad in all EU Members...[more]