EUROPEAN CRIMINAL LAW
Inhoudsopgave
EUROPEAN CRIMINAL LAW............................................................................................................................ 1
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................. 1
Driving forces “Europeanisation” criminal law and criminal justice.................................................................2
Continuous interaction different level Europe-MS............................................................................................2
HISTORY, SOURCES, INTERPLAY BETWEEN SOURCES.................................................................................................. 4
Council of Europe (CoE).....................................................................................................................................4
European Convention and Court Human Rights (ECHR)...................................................................................4
European Union................................................................................................................................................5
Maastricht: the EU as a ‘common roof’..........................................................................................................11
Conclusion: history EU Treaties.......................................................................................................................19
Lisbon Treaty: accession EU to ECHR..............................................................................................................19
DEFINITION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR, DEFENSES, LIABILITY.....................................................................................21
A. Sword function of European Law: obligation to incriminate and to punish...............................................22
B. Schield function of European law: invoking European Law as a Defense against National Criminal law..29
C. Other substantive law issues......................................................................................................................30
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................................37
INVESTIGATION: INSTITUTIONS......................................................................................................................... 38
Competent authorities....................................................................................................................................39
Pre-history: why is it so sensitive, and why can’t we be naif..........................................................................39
Interpol = first & foremost a data exchange clearing house..........................................................................40
TREVI...............................................................................................................................................................41
OLAF (office for fight against fraud)...............................................................................................................42
EUROPOL.........................................................................................................................................................42
EUROJUST........................................................................................................................................................45
European Judicial Network in criminal matters..............................................................................................48
Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) not so important (!).............49
European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO)....................................................................................................49
INVESTIGATIONS: METHODS, CROSS BORDER COOPERATION AND HR LIMITS, DATA SEIZURES AND SEARCHES.......................52
PROCEDURAL RIGHTS AND TRIAL STAGE.............................................................................................................. 60
Questioning of suspects..................................................................................................................................60
Issue under art. 6: can people be forced to confess?......................................................................................63
Disclosure......................................................................................................................................................100
Undercover operation...................................................................................................................................125
Trial...............................................................................................................................................................126
Evidence (limits in using evidence)................................................................................................................127
Cross-border cooperation in EU....................................................................................................................129
CRIMINAL SANCTIONS................................................................................................................................... 130
NE BIS IN IDEM........................................................................................................................................... 132
SPECIAL SITUATIONS: IMMUNITY, STATUTES LIMITATION.......................................................................................136
Obstacles to prosecution prescription: status of limitations........................................................................136
INTRODUCTION
“European law does not exist”
1
, - No European Criminal codes
- No European Code of Criminal Procedure
- No European Criminal Courts, Judges, Juries or Prisons
o it does exist in America
- Europe isn’t the Federal State (yet) sovereignty
- Criminal law traditionally excluded from partial transfer of sovereignty to supranational
institutions
o Think about WWII -> the idea of someone knocking on your door and shouting ‘open
up your door’ in German can be a trauma in many countries -> that is a no go,
especially in the first decades after the WW
- Sensitive: monopoly of legitimate violence, right to infringe the most fundamental rights of
people under its jurisdiction
DRIVING FORCES “EUROPEANISATION” CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
1° Internationalization of social and economic life, increased mobility and the boom in
communications
- E.g. cheap and economic flights (train is more expensive than the flight)
- Years ago, there were no mobile phones, you had to queue in a station to make a phone call
-> now you can just call whenever you want
o Life is completely different now
- Burgerelies and partner violence have a lot of international aspects these days
o Phones have a lot of personal information (e.g. contacts, location, phone data, ..)
2° Increasing incidence of European law on national law, criminal law as the strong arm of national
law cannot escape it
- E.g. divorce -> a lot of cross-border divorces
o If the people don’t live up to the law, then European criminal law is the answer
3° The fight against economic crime in general and infractions of Union law (stealing EU money) in
particular
- E.g. Fraud
4° The fight against organized crime and terrorism
- E.g. drug crime and human trafficking
Criminal has become top issue at European level
Evolution has culminated in Lisbon Treaty 2009
(throughout, new peak: controversial debate on ‘crimmigration’)
CONTINUOUS INTERACTION DIFFERENT LEVEL EUROPE-MS
2
,A.D.: the new world after Lisbon
- The Lisbon Treaty 2009 was a new start and perspective for the European criminal law
- Plenty of possible issues, debates, publications, search tools,…+ classic ‘hot’ topics -> still work
in progress
Objectives
- Which subject-matters do the different players deal with (European Court HR, CoE, EU)
- Basic procedures and instruments (and where to find them)
- General principles
- Awareness of possibilities and limitations: can it work? Why (not)?
o Would it be great to have European police?
Practical difficulties: language, …
o European Acts on euthanasia?
- Being able to apply law, to answer questions on specific situations in the light of European law
- Illustrations of repercussions on MS systems
- Develop a practical and critical attitude: problem solving
o Should pregnant girls who want to have an abortion be able to move to a country
where it is legitimate?
o Should you be able to move countries to buy illegal drugs?
Approach
- Chronology of a criminal case
- ‘European’ impact throughout the different stages
European influence/ cross border practice on…
- Who creates criminal (procedural) law?
- Which offenses can/should MS have, can Europe define them?
- Who investigates?
- What can they do, what not?
- Obligation to prosecute?
3
, - Trial: partial judges? Rules evidence?
- Sanctions
- Executions sanctions
HISTORY, SOURCES, INTERPLAY BETWEEN SOURCES
COUNCIL OF EUROPE (COE)
- This is not the European Council (!)
- = broad institution covering almost every aspect of the EU
o 47 – 1 MS
- Aims to protect human rights, pluralist democracy and the rule of law in its MS
- Searches solutions to problems facing European society: discrimination against minorities,
xenophobia, intolerance, environmental protection, human cloning, aids, drugs, organized
crime, …
- Important role in shaping the criminal policy of MS and in strengthening international
cooperation against crime
EUROPEAN CONVENTION AND COURT HUMAN RIGHTS (ECHR)
- Origins: after WWII – written by people who have seen the horrors of WWII
- It looks like the UN Declaration, but it is a Convention
o There is no obligation to live by the Declaration, while there is an obligation to live by
the Convention (legally binding)
- Evolution: more recognition jurisdiction Court, individual petition
o States can hold each other in account to human right violations based on the
Convention
o Weakness with states going after each other:
Political tension
Diplomatic reasons
o Individual petitions: victims of violation of fundamental rights can take their case to
the ECHR – this is an evolution – this wasn’t the case years ago, but now is a standard
practice
This is the key to the success of the ECHR
- Basic provisions
- Drawbacks
o The idea that you can take your country to Strasbourg for the violation of your
fundamental rights, after evoking the national system
Influence
4
Inhoudsopgave
EUROPEAN CRIMINAL LAW............................................................................................................................ 1
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................. 1
Driving forces “Europeanisation” criminal law and criminal justice.................................................................2
Continuous interaction different level Europe-MS............................................................................................2
HISTORY, SOURCES, INTERPLAY BETWEEN SOURCES.................................................................................................. 4
Council of Europe (CoE).....................................................................................................................................4
European Convention and Court Human Rights (ECHR)...................................................................................4
European Union................................................................................................................................................5
Maastricht: the EU as a ‘common roof’..........................................................................................................11
Conclusion: history EU Treaties.......................................................................................................................19
Lisbon Treaty: accession EU to ECHR..............................................................................................................19
DEFINITION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR, DEFENSES, LIABILITY.....................................................................................21
A. Sword function of European Law: obligation to incriminate and to punish...............................................22
B. Schield function of European law: invoking European Law as a Defense against National Criminal law..29
C. Other substantive law issues......................................................................................................................30
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................................37
INVESTIGATION: INSTITUTIONS......................................................................................................................... 38
Competent authorities....................................................................................................................................39
Pre-history: why is it so sensitive, and why can’t we be naif..........................................................................39
Interpol = first & foremost a data exchange clearing house..........................................................................40
TREVI...............................................................................................................................................................41
OLAF (office for fight against fraud)...............................................................................................................42
EUROPOL.........................................................................................................................................................42
EUROJUST........................................................................................................................................................45
European Judicial Network in criminal matters..............................................................................................48
Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) not so important (!).............49
European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO)....................................................................................................49
INVESTIGATIONS: METHODS, CROSS BORDER COOPERATION AND HR LIMITS, DATA SEIZURES AND SEARCHES.......................52
PROCEDURAL RIGHTS AND TRIAL STAGE.............................................................................................................. 60
Questioning of suspects..................................................................................................................................60
Issue under art. 6: can people be forced to confess?......................................................................................63
Disclosure......................................................................................................................................................100
Undercover operation...................................................................................................................................125
Trial...............................................................................................................................................................126
Evidence (limits in using evidence)................................................................................................................127
Cross-border cooperation in EU....................................................................................................................129
CRIMINAL SANCTIONS................................................................................................................................... 130
NE BIS IN IDEM........................................................................................................................................... 132
SPECIAL SITUATIONS: IMMUNITY, STATUTES LIMITATION.......................................................................................136
Obstacles to prosecution prescription: status of limitations........................................................................136
INTRODUCTION
“European law does not exist”
1
, - No European Criminal codes
- No European Code of Criminal Procedure
- No European Criminal Courts, Judges, Juries or Prisons
o it does exist in America
- Europe isn’t the Federal State (yet) sovereignty
- Criminal law traditionally excluded from partial transfer of sovereignty to supranational
institutions
o Think about WWII -> the idea of someone knocking on your door and shouting ‘open
up your door’ in German can be a trauma in many countries -> that is a no go,
especially in the first decades after the WW
- Sensitive: monopoly of legitimate violence, right to infringe the most fundamental rights of
people under its jurisdiction
DRIVING FORCES “EUROPEANISATION” CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
1° Internationalization of social and economic life, increased mobility and the boom in
communications
- E.g. cheap and economic flights (train is more expensive than the flight)
- Years ago, there were no mobile phones, you had to queue in a station to make a phone call
-> now you can just call whenever you want
o Life is completely different now
- Burgerelies and partner violence have a lot of international aspects these days
o Phones have a lot of personal information (e.g. contacts, location, phone data, ..)
2° Increasing incidence of European law on national law, criminal law as the strong arm of national
law cannot escape it
- E.g. divorce -> a lot of cross-border divorces
o If the people don’t live up to the law, then European criminal law is the answer
3° The fight against economic crime in general and infractions of Union law (stealing EU money) in
particular
- E.g. Fraud
4° The fight against organized crime and terrorism
- E.g. drug crime and human trafficking
Criminal has become top issue at European level
Evolution has culminated in Lisbon Treaty 2009
(throughout, new peak: controversial debate on ‘crimmigration’)
CONTINUOUS INTERACTION DIFFERENT LEVEL EUROPE-MS
2
,A.D.: the new world after Lisbon
- The Lisbon Treaty 2009 was a new start and perspective for the European criminal law
- Plenty of possible issues, debates, publications, search tools,…+ classic ‘hot’ topics -> still work
in progress
Objectives
- Which subject-matters do the different players deal with (European Court HR, CoE, EU)
- Basic procedures and instruments (and where to find them)
- General principles
- Awareness of possibilities and limitations: can it work? Why (not)?
o Would it be great to have European police?
Practical difficulties: language, …
o European Acts on euthanasia?
- Being able to apply law, to answer questions on specific situations in the light of European law
- Illustrations of repercussions on MS systems
- Develop a practical and critical attitude: problem solving
o Should pregnant girls who want to have an abortion be able to move to a country
where it is legitimate?
o Should you be able to move countries to buy illegal drugs?
Approach
- Chronology of a criminal case
- ‘European’ impact throughout the different stages
European influence/ cross border practice on…
- Who creates criminal (procedural) law?
- Which offenses can/should MS have, can Europe define them?
- Who investigates?
- What can they do, what not?
- Obligation to prosecute?
3
, - Trial: partial judges? Rules evidence?
- Sanctions
- Executions sanctions
HISTORY, SOURCES, INTERPLAY BETWEEN SOURCES
COUNCIL OF EUROPE (COE)
- This is not the European Council (!)
- = broad institution covering almost every aspect of the EU
o 47 – 1 MS
- Aims to protect human rights, pluralist democracy and the rule of law in its MS
- Searches solutions to problems facing European society: discrimination against minorities,
xenophobia, intolerance, environmental protection, human cloning, aids, drugs, organized
crime, …
- Important role in shaping the criminal policy of MS and in strengthening international
cooperation against crime
EUROPEAN CONVENTION AND COURT HUMAN RIGHTS (ECHR)
- Origins: after WWII – written by people who have seen the horrors of WWII
- It looks like the UN Declaration, but it is a Convention
o There is no obligation to live by the Declaration, while there is an obligation to live by
the Convention (legally binding)
- Evolution: more recognition jurisdiction Court, individual petition
o States can hold each other in account to human right violations based on the
Convention
o Weakness with states going after each other:
Political tension
Diplomatic reasons
o Individual petitions: victims of violation of fundamental rights can take their case to
the ECHR – this is an evolution – this wasn’t the case years ago, but now is a standard
practice
This is the key to the success of the ECHR
- Basic provisions
- Drawbacks
o The idea that you can take your country to Strasbourg for the violation of your
fundamental rights, after evoking the national system
Influence
4
