Large heroin seizure in Italy supported by Eurojust

8 November 2018

Last weekend, 270 kg of heroin was seized by Italian Customs agents in the Port of Genoa, Italy, hidden in a container that arrived from Iran, the largest seizure of drugs in Genoa in 20 years. The Italian Police arranged for a portion of the seized drugs to be sent further on its planned route, the first controlled delivery of heroin outside Italy. The drugs travelled by truck through three States, with the Netherlands as the final destination. Two suspects were arrested in the Netherlands.

The long investigation was coordinated between the judicial and law enforcement authorities of five States, with the support of Eurojust, and was organised by the Italian Antimafia District Directorate (Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia (Dda)). Information was exchanged with the Central Drug Trafficking Directorate (Direzione Centrale per I Servizi Antidroga) and the Italian Police Central Operations Service (Servizio Centrale Operativo della Polizia di Stato).

Photo © Shutterstock




Large heroin seizure in Italy supported by Eurojust

8 November 2018

Last weekend, 270 kg of heroin was seized by Italian Customs agents in the Port of Genoa, Italy, hidden in a container that arrived from Iran, the largest seizure of drugs in Genoa in 20 years. The Italian Police arranged for a portion of the seized drugs to be sent further on its planned route, the first controlled delivery of heroin outside Italy. The drugs travelled by truck through three States, with the Netherlands as the final destination. Two suspects were arrested in the Netherlands.

The long investigation was coordinated between the judicial and law enforcement authorities of five States, with the support of Eurojust, and was organised by the Italian Antimafia District Directorate (Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia (Dda)). Information was exchanged with the Central Drug Trafficking Directorate (Direzione Centrale per I Servizi Antidroga) and the Italian Police Central Operations Service (Servizio Centrale Operativo della Polizia di Stato).

Photo © Shutterstock




Large heroin seizure in Italy supported by Eurojust

8 November 2018

Last weekend, 270 kg of heroin was seized by Italian Customs agents in the Port of Genoa, Italy, hidden in a container that arrived from Iran, the largest seizure of drugs in Genoa in 20 years. The Italian Police arranged for a portion of the seized drugs to be sent further on its planned route, the first controlled delivery of heroin outside Italy. The drugs travelled by truck through three States, with the Netherlands as the final destination. Two suspects were arrested in the Netherlands.

The long investigation was coordinated between the judicial and law enforcement authorities of five States, with the support of Eurojust, and was organised by the Italian Antimafia District Directorate (Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia (Dda)). Information was exchanged with the Central Drug Trafficking Directorate (Direzione Centrale per I Servizi Antidroga) and the Italian Police Central Operations Service (Servizio Centrale Operativo della Polizia di Stato).

Photo © Shutterstock




EIOPA publishes monthly technical information for Solvency II Relevant Risk Free Interest Rate Term Structures – end-October 2018 and updates the source code for the monthly risk-free interest rate term structures calculation

Today, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) published technical information on the relevant risk free interest rate term structures (RFR) with reference to the end of October 2018 and an updated version of the source code used for the monthly risk-free interest rate term structures (RFR) calculation.

Both the RFR information with reference to end of October 2018 and the RFR coding released today reflect the content of the Technical Documentation published on 1 February 2018.

All the documents are available on EIOPA’s website. The updated version of the source code can be accessed under “Background Material.”

 

Background

Technical information relating to risk-free interest rate (RFR) term structures is used for the calculation of the technical provisions for (re)insurance obligations.

In line with the Solvency II Directive, EIOPA publishes technical information relating to RFR term structures on a monthly basis via a dedicated section on EIOPA’s Website also containing the provisional release calendar for 2018, the RFR Technical Documentation, the RFR coding and Frequently Asked Questions.




ESAs consult on proposed changes to the key information document for PRIIPs

The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) have today issued a consultation paper on targeted amendments to the Delegated Regulation covering the rules for the Key Information Document (KID) for Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products (PRIIPs).

The ESAs, on 1 October 2018, set out in a letter to the European Commission their intention to make proposals to support legislative changes to avoid the possibility of duplicating information requirements for investment funds from 1 January 2020, and to tackle key issues that have arisen since the implementation of the KID. The consultation paper addresses, in particular, amendments to the information regarding investment products’ performance scenarios.

The proposals are made in the context of the ongoing discussions between the European co-legislators on the application of the KID by certain investment funds as well as the timing of a wider and more comprehensive review of PRIIPs, which was due this year. The outcome of this targeted review is without prejudice to that wider review, and it would be beneficial to conduct such a wider review early in the next term of the European Parliament.  

In addition, when deciding upon the nature of their final recommendations following this consultation in January 2019, the ESAs will take into account the feedback from respondents to this consultation and the latest information of these political discussions on the application of the KID by certain investment funds and the timing of the wider review.

The deadline for submission of feedback is by Thursday, 6 December 2018.

The consultation paper and template for comments can be obtained via the following links.

 

Background

The KID for PRIIPs is a mandatory, three-page A4 information document to be provided to consumers before purchasing a PRIIP. PRIIPs include for example funds, structured products, unit-linked and with-profits life insurance contracts, and structured deposits.

The PRIIPs Regulation (No 1286/2014) defines the main rules and principles for KIDs. It is supplemented by a Delegated Regulation (2017/653) specifying the presentation and contents of the KID, which is based on Regulatory Technical Standards that the ESAs were mandated to develop.

Performance scenarios are included in the Section of the KID titled “What are the risks and what could I get in return?” They indicate how the investment could perform under various different scenarios.