EU Criminal Justice

• VIDEO DOCUMENTATION OF THE EVENT

Background The Green movement has a dilemma. On the one hand we support European integration in the area of EU criminal justice, particular when it involves EU Criminal Law measures to fight environmental or economic crimes at a time that ordinary citizens are asked to foot the bill for the economic and financial crisis. We even support a European Public Prosecutor's office- as "cherry on the cake" of a European Criminal Justice area.  On the other hand we voted against the European Arrest Warrant given the complete lack of proper procedural rights in criminal proceedings and are concerned about a Europe which sees repression as the only answer to crime. The hearing should enrich our views on the issue by engaging NGOs, academics and professionals in the field. The conference follows on from the conference on Crime and Punishment in the EU held in 2010.

MEPs:

• Rebecca Harms
• Jan Philipp Albrecht
• Judith Sargentini
• Rui Tavares
• Eva Joly

Guest Speakers:

• Jago Russell
  Chief Executive, Fair Trials International, London
• Taru Spronken
  Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, University of Maastricht
• Didier Bigo
  Professor of International Relations, Sciences-Po (Institut d’Etudes Politiques), Paris, and Professor of War Studies King's College, London
• Helmut Satzger
  Professor, Chair of German, European and International Criminal Law and Business Criminal Law, Munich University 
• Marianne Wade 
  Dr, Senior Lecturer Director of the Institute of Judicial Administration, University of Birmingham
• Peter Csonka
  Advisor at Directorate-General Justice, European Commission, Brussels 
• Peter Schneiderhan
  Dr, Senior Public Prosecutor, Member of the Executive Committee of the German Association of Judges, Stuttgart
• Holger Matt
  Professor, Chair of European Criminal Bar Association, Frankfurt/Main

Program

3 pm - 
Opening remarks
Jan Philipp Albrecht MEP Welcome note:
Rebecca Harms MEP, Co-President of the Green Group in the European Parliament
3.20 pm
1. Judicial cooperation and procedural rights of suspects in the EU
- Jago Russell, Fair Trials International, London
- Professor Taru Spronken, University of Maastricht Moderator: Judith Sargentini MEP Questions & Answers 4 pm
2. Organised crime as a challenge for EU criminal law
-Professor Didier Bigo, Sciences-Po, Paris and King's College, London
- Professor Helmut Satzger, University of Munich Moderator: Rui Tavares MEP Questions & Answers 4.40 pm - Coffee break 5 pm 
3. A European Public Prosecutor to fight financial crimes - Dr Marianne Wade, University of Birmingham
- Dr Peter Csonka, European Commission, Brussels
- Dr Peter Schneiderhan, Executive Committee of the German Association of Judges, Stuttgart
- Prof Holger Matt, European Criminal Bar Association, Frankfurt/Main Moderator: Eva Joly MEP Questions & Answers 6 pm
Concluding remarks: Jan Philipp Albrecht MEP

More information about the panels:

1. Judicial cooperation and procedural rights of suspects in the EU What are the lessons learnt regarding judicial cooperation in the European Union, especially the European Arrest Warrant the European Investigation Order? What are the basic problems and challenges of judicial cooperation in the European Union, especially regarding procedural rights of suspects as discussed in the context of pre-trial detention, legal aid and the right to access to a lawyer? What do we expect from judicial cooperation in the European Union, what are our basic demands? 2. Organised crime as a challenge for EU criminal law What is the impact of organised crime on the European Union?
How to develop substantive norms and principles to combat organised crime, particularly those undermining social and economic justice?
What are the experiences and suggestions of a practitioner?  3. A European Public Prosecutor to fight financial crimes Protection of financial Interests and the need for a European Public Prosecutor
What are the ideas of the European Commission to fight financial crimes?
What in the eyes of practitioners is necessary for a European Public Prosecutor to fight financial crimes in the EU?