European Parliament, OK to the directive on asset confiscation

Libera: “Thirty-two years after the approval of the Law Rognoni – La Torre, the European Parliament finally approved the directive on the confiscation of assets. Starting today, the laundering of money overseas and the resulting investments suffer a deadly strike.”

“Thirty-two years after the approval of the Law Rognoni – La Torre on the confiscation of the mafioso assets, the approval has come by the European Parliament of the Directive on the freezing and confiscation of the proceeds of crime, that introduces one of the most effective instruments for the repression of organised crime. Thanks to the Directive, the laundering of money overseas and the resulting investments suffer a deadly strike. For too many years have the mafias found it easy to reinvest their wealth, whereas the civil society has been promoting for years campaigns and activities for this Directive to come to light. Starting today, Europe endows itself with a pivotal instrument to damage the capitals of criminal organisations.

We appeal to the Italian government, in view of the Italian presidency semester at the EU, for it to play an active and propelling role in the monitoring and coordination of the phase of transposition of the Directive by the Member States, in order to make the action of the Union in the fight against organised crime even sharper.

Just as we worked during these years to achieve this objective, as Libera we will not fail to monitor and push for the correct application of the Directive in the individual Countries by means of our network of European associations.”

In a note, FLARE’s president Franco La Torre commented favourably the approval by the European Parliament of the directive on the confiscation of proceeds obtained by means of criminal activities.