European Communities Financial Interests

HC Deb 11 June 1999 vol 332 cc435-6W

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list in respect of the Convention on the Protection of the European Communities Financial Interests and subsequent protocols (i) the dates of promulgation and signature, (ii) the dates of draft and final publication in the United Kingdom, (iii) any relevant parliamentary proceedings and (iv) the dates of coming into force; [85679]

(2) what plans he has to amend the criminal law and procedures in respect of the Convention on the Protection of the European Communities' Financial Interests relating to international criminal fraud, and its protocols. [85680]

Kate Hoey

The Council of the European Union adopted and signed the Convention on the Protection of the European Communities' Financial Interests (the Fraud Convention) on 26 July 1995. The three protocols were adopted and signed on 27 September 1996, 29 November 1996 and 19 June 1997.

The Government published the Convention and its protocols on 16 May 1999 as Command Papers in the European Communities Series, and laid them for 21 sitting days in both Houses in accordance with the Ponsonby rule.

Prior to adoption the Convention and its protocols had been submitted for, and cleared from, parliamentary scrutiny.

The Convention will enter into force 90 days after the Secretary-General of the Council receives notice that it has been ratified by the last Member State of the European Union. The same rule applies to each of the protocols, except that they cannot enter into force before the Convention.

Following the recent commencement of Part I of the Criminal Justice Act 1993, which was brought into force on 1 June 1999, and of equivalent provisions of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, which were brought into force on the same date, no further changes to criminal law are needed in the United Kingdom in order to satisfy the requirements of the Convention and protocols. Arrangements are under way for the United Kingdom to ratify the Convention and protocols by September.