Eurojust: coordination meeting on Berlin Christmas market terrorist attack

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​On 27 March 2017, Eurojust held a coordination meeting on the case known as the Berlin Christmas market terrorist attack of 19 December 2016, upon the invitation of the National Members of Germany and Italy, and with the participation of investigating authorities from various Member States and third States. The participants discussed their respective national investigations and agreed to continue their mutual cooperation.

For interviews and further information, please contact:

 

EUROJUST
Corporate Communications Office
E-mail: media@eurojust.europa.eu
For all Eurojust press releases, please see www.eurojust.europa.eu (Press centre) 

 

Note: Due to maintenance in preparation for the move to the new Eurojust premises, the Eurojust website and e-mail system will not be available on 1 and 2 April 2017. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you.

Eurojust: coordination meeting on Berlin Christmas market terrorist attack

image_pdfimage_print

​On 27 March 2017, Eurojust held a coordination meeting on the case known as the Berlin Christmas market terrorist attack of 19 December 2016, upon the invitation of the National Members of Germany and Italy, and with the participation of investigating authorities from various Member States and third States. The participants discussed their respective national investigations and agreed to continue their mutual cooperation.

For interviews and further information, please contact:

 

EUROJUST
Corporate Communications Office
E-mail: media@eurojust.europa.eu
For all Eurojust press releases, please see www.eurojust.europa.eu (Press centre) 

 

Note: Due to maintenance in preparation for the move to the new Eurojust premises, the Eurojust website and e-mail system will not be available on 1 and 2 April 2017. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you.

International coordinated action against tax fraud and money laundering

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​Yesterday, police, tax and judicial authorities from four Member States and Australia took part in an action day against a group of individuals and companies suspected of tax fraud and money laundering. The joint action was initiated by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service in cooperation with the FIOD, the criminal investigation service of the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration. Arrests were made in the involved countries, suspects were questioned, and searches and seizures were carried out. The hearing of witnesses is ongoing.

An investigation into holders of suspicious bank accounts and facilitators was commenced by the Dutch authorities in 2016. Germany, France, HM Revenue & Customs from the UK and Australia also opened their own investigations. The independent investigations gathered evidence and analysed a huge amount of data. The undeclared assets hidden within offshore accounts and policies are estimated in the millions of euros.

Eurojust held three coordination meetings, attended by participants from the involved States, to share information and devise a strategy for the action day. More actions are expected in the coming weeks. International cooperation will be intensified, and the roles that possible service providers have played will be examined.

International cooperation, improved tax transparency and the suspending of bank secrecy laws help to detect tax fraud.

For interviews and further information, please contact:

EUROJUST
Corporate Communications Office
E-mail: media@eurojust.europa.eu
For all Eurojust press releases, please see www.eurojust.europa.eu (Press centre) 

Note: Due to maintenance in preparation for the move to the new Eurojust premises, the Eurojust website and e-mail system will not be available on 1 and 2 April 2017. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you.

UN, partners warn 108 million people face severe food insecurity worldwide

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31 March 2017 – Despite international efforts to address food insecurity, around 108 million people worldwide were severely food insecure in 2016, a dramatic increase compared with 80 million in 2015, according to a United Nations-backed report on food crises that offers benchmark for action needed to avoid catastrophe.

“The cost in human and resource terms only increases if we let situations deteriorate,” said UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva, in a news release on the Global Report on Food Crises 2017.

“We can prevent people dying from famine but if we do not scale up our efforts to save, protect and invest in rural livelihoods, tens of millions will remain severely food insecure,” he added.

Civil conflict is the driving factor in nine of the 10 worst humanitarian crises, underscoring the strong linkage between peace and food security, says the report.

The report represents a new and politically innovative collaboration between the European Union and USAID/FEWSNET, regional food security institutions together with UN agencies including the FAO, the World Food Programme and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“Hunger exacerbates crisis, creating ever greater instability and insecurity. What is a food security challenge today becomes tomorrow’s security challenge,” said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin. “It is a race against time – the world must act now to save the lives and livelihoods of the millions at the brink of starvation.”

“This report highlights the critical need for prompt and targeted action to effectively respond to the food crises and to address their root causes,” said Neven Mimica, Commissioner for EU’s International Cooperation and Development, noting that in 2016, the EU allocated €550 million already, followed by another €165 million that we have just mobilized to assist the people affected by famine and drought in the Horn of Africa.

This year, the demand for humanitarian and resilience building assistance will further escalate as four countries are at risk of famine: South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and north-east Nigeria.

Other countries that require massive levels of assistance because of widespread food insecurity are Iraq, Syria (including refugees in neighbouring countries) Malawi and Zimbabwe. In the absence of immediate and substantive action, the food security situation in these countries will continue to worsen in coming months, according to the new report.

AUDIO: There has been a “dramatic increase” in food insecurity around the world the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said, launching a joint agency report showing that some 108 million people were categorized as “severely food insecure” during 2016.