A 22-year-old suspected of committing several terrorist and extremist crimes has been arrested in Slovakia. In an action supported by Eurojust, Europol and the United States, Slovak and Czech authorities searched two locations and seized a 3D printer and printed metal parts of weapons, computers and other electronic devices. According to the investigation, the arrested suspect is believed to sympathise and promote far-right white nationalist movements such as the neo-Nazi ‘alternative right’, the ideology of ‘accelerationism’ and the ‘Siege culture’. The suspect allegedly participated in several subversive and sabotage activities and acts of terrorism with the objective of publicly inciting the overthrow of the democratic political system. He shared photos of glorified far-right extremists to publicly support their activities. He also committed several extremist crimes. Continue reading…

Ransomware has become a global problem that requires cooperation on a worldwide level. Judicial experts and practitioners from the European Union and the United States participated in a two-day workshop in The Hague organised by Eurojust and the U.S. Department of Justice. The event aimed to share best practices and enhance collaboration in confronting ransomware attacks. The event was opened by Eurojust President, Mr Ladislav Hamran, and Assistant Attorney General Mr Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Continue reading…

At a dedicated conference, criminal justice practitioners and experts from the South Partner Countries (SPCs) and the European Union Member States discussed how to help judicial and law enforcement authorities to apply data protection standards when gathering cross-border electronic evidence in criminal matters. The event was organised by the EuroMed Justice Programme (EMJ) in close coordination with the French Ministry of Justice and under the French Presidency to the EU Council. It took place in Lyon, France, between 31 May and 2 June. Continue reading…

When your organisation fosters a culture of compliance with strong security mandates, it sets a standard for employees, customers and vendors to follow that becomes a part of everyday corporate life. Acting ethically promotes integrity and helps organisations gain trust from key stakeholders and investors. You may think it’s easier said than done. But there are several distinct ways to take steps to comply with relevant laws, policies and regulations. At Legility’s virtual Symposium 2020, the need for ethical compliance and security was the focus of a panel discussion led by legal experts with firsthand knowledge of how to create this culture. Moderated by Legility, the panel included Carlos Provencio and Eduardo Provencio, who are brothers as well as lawyers working in highly regulated industries. The key, they all agreed, was to make regulatory compliance, security and business ethics matters essential, unwavering activities. Continue reading…

by Matthew Verga

As we have noted before, cyberattacks are a growing area of concern, both inside and outside of the legal industry, and “cyberattacks in 2020 were particularly crippling because of how much more legal professionals relied on email and internet-based access to maintain operations.” With so many breaches occurring and so many breach investigations being conducted, it is important to consider the discoverability of reports and other materials generated by those investigations. As two recent cases demonstrate, it can be difficult to satisfy the requirements for work product protection of such reports. Continue reading…

Fabio Panetta, Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, gave an opening speech at the IESE Business School Banking Initiative Conference on Technology and Finance, Frankfurt am Main on 8 April 2022. Thank you for inviting me to this conference. As it explores the interplay between technology and finance, I have chosen to focus my remarks on retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) – in other words, the possibility for everyone to use public money for digital payments. It’s hard to think of a better day to discuss the advances of research in this field. Today would have been the 118th birthday of the great economist Sir John Richard Hicks, who once said that “much of economic theory is pursued for no better reason than its intellectual attraction; it is a good game.” Continue reading…

Eurojust supported the setting up of a joint investigation team (JIT) into alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine. The responsible national authorities of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine signed a JIT agreement on 25 March to enable the exchange of information and facilitate investigations into war crimes, crimes against humanity and other core crimes. Participation in the JIT may be extended to other EU Member States, third countries or other third parties in due course. Continue reading…

The Commission welcomes the swift political agreement reached yesterday between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The regulation, agreed in slightly more than a year after it was proposed, is among the first initiatives of its kind to comprehensively regulate the gatekeeper power of the largest digital companies. Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton (see photo) said: “This agreement seals the economic leg of our ambitious reorganisation of our digital space in the EU internal market. We will quickly work on designating gatekeepers based on objective criteria. Within 6 months of being designated, they will have to comply with their new obligations. Through effective enforcement, the new rules will bring increased contestability and fairer conditions for consumers and business users, which will allow for more innovation and choice in the market. We are serious about this common endeavour: no company in the world can turn a blind eye to the prospect of a fine of up to 20% of their global turnover if they repeatedly break the rules.”
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Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, and Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main, made a statement on the 10th of March 2022 with regards to the Ukraine-Russia War. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a watershed for Europe. The Governing Council expresses its full support to the people of Ukraine. We will ensure smooth liquidity conditions and implement the sanctions decided by the European Union and European governments. We will take whatever action is needed to fulfil the ECB’s mandate to pursue price stability and to safeguard financial stability. Continue reading…

A total of 12 individuals wreaking havoc across the world with ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure have been targeted as the result of a law enforcement and judicial operation involving eight countries. These cyber actors represented a dangerous combination of aggressive disruption and high-stake targets. The attacks are believed to have affected over 1800 victims in 71 countries. These cyber actors are known for specifically targeting large corporations, effectively bringing their business to a standstill. The actions took place in the early hours of 26 October in Ukraine and Switzerland. Most of these suspects are considered high-value targets because they are being investigated in multiple high-profile cases in different jurisdictions. Continue reading…