Judicial cooperation: orders freezing assets or evidence. Framework decision. Initiative France, Sweden and Belgium

The committee adopted the report by Luís MARINHO (PES, P) amending the proposal under the consultation procedure. It felt that mutual recognition of court orders to freeze assets or evidence should apply not only to cases of drug trafficking, fraud against the EU budget, money laundering, counterfeiting of the euro, corruption or trafficking in human beings (as specified in the text proposed by the governments of France, Sweden and Belgium) but to all cases which are punishable by a custodial sentence of at least six months Other amendments adopted in committee included bringing forward the date of its entry into force by six months, from 31 December to 30 June 2002. The committee also advocated a pragmatic linguistic approach, arguing that, as speed was essential in the execution of freezing orders, provision could be made for Member States, if they so agreed, to accept a translation of the certificate into a widely used official EU language other than their own, which would greatly speed up proceedings.