Proposals for an EU-wide serious crime asset recovery scheme will be brought forward by the European Commission this year, it was announced at the Brussels Parliament last week.

Speaking to MEPs during a criminal justice debate, Franco Frattini, the commission vice-president responsible for justice, freedom and security, said the commission would be launching three framework papers in 2005, and that one would set out measures to freeze and recover criminal assets. While sketchy on detail, Mr Frattini told MEPs that 'assets from serious crimes should be frozen and confiscated and the use of those assets should be in the public interest'.


Mr Frattini said the second prong of the commission's planned justice framework paper for 2005 will be measures for a pan-EU judicial training programme. The commission wants to evaluate and harmonise judicial standards across Europe. Part of the scheme is likely to involve a judicial exchange programme throughout member state jurisdictions.



Mr Frattini said it was vital for judicial consistency that 'judges in one system should become aware of what is happening in another'.


He added that the commission wished to ensure 'the quality of all judges across the EU to defend the principle of judicial independence'.