The Hague, 27 October 2017

Paris Adamis joined Eurojust in September 2017.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Athens, followed by two Master’s degrees, one in law and one in terrorism studies, followed by an LL.M. and a Ph.D. in criminology.

His career in law began in 1990 as a judicial officer in the Greek Air Force in Athens, followed by seven years of private law practice. In 2000, he became a public prosecutor, and was promoted to Chief Prosecutor in 2009, serving until 2016, at which time he became Chief Prosecutor for S.I.Re.N.E., the Police Office for International Cooperation within the Greek Ministry of the Interior, until his appointment to Eurojust.

Mr Adamis was chosen as Prosecutor of the Year in 2011 by the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP), of which he is a member. He has written many speeches and papers on legal topics, as well as two books, one on hooliganism and one on responding to new religious terrorism.

Commenting on his appointment as National Member for Greece at Eurojust, Mr Adamis said: ‘My first encounter with Eurojust occurred when I attended a Eurojust seminar in 2010 at the behest of my national authorities in Athens. At that time, I never anticipated that one day I would be appointed National Member for Greece. My previous position of Chief Prosecutor at S.I.Re.N.E. introd0uced me to the challenges, complexities and advantages of international cooperation in cases involving serious organised crime. I look forward to furthering my expertise with the help of my colleagues in the College of Eurojust.’

Photo: © Eurojust

The Hague, 27 October 2017

Paris Adamis joined Eurojust in September 2017.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Athens, followed by two Master’s degrees, one in law and one in terrorism studies, followed by an LL.M. and a Ph.D. in criminology.

His career in law began in 1990 as a judicial officer in the Greek Air Force in Athens, followed by seven years of private law practice. In 2000, he became a public prosecutor, and was promoted to Chief Prosecutor in 2009, serving until 2016, at which time he became Chief Prosecutor for S.I.Re.N.E., the Police Office for International Cooperation within the Greek Ministry of the Interior, until his appointment to Eurojust.

Mr Adamis was chosen as Prosecutor of the Year in 2011 by the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP), of which he is a member. He has written many speeches and papers on legal topics, as well as two books, one on hooliganism and one on responding to new religious terrorism.

Commenting on his appointment as National Member for Greece at Eurojust, Mr Adamis said: ‘My first encounter with Eurojust occurred when I attended a Eurojust seminar in 2010 at the behest of my national authorities in Athens. At that time, I never anticipated that one day I would be appointed National Member for Greece. My previous position of Chief Prosecutor at S.I.Re.N.E. introd0uced me to the challenges, complexities and advantages of international cooperation in cases involving serious organised crime. I look forward to furthering my expertise with the help of my colleagues in the College of Eurojust.’

Photo: © Eurojust

The current tax framework does not fit with modern realities. It was designed in a pre-computer age and cannot capture activities which are increasingly based on intangible assets and data. As a result, there is the risk of shrinking tax bases for Member States, competitive distortions for businesses and obstacles for innovative companies.

Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: “Nobody can deny it: our tax framework does not fit anymore with the development of the digital economy or with new business models. Member States want to tax the huge profits generated by digital economic activity in their country. We need a solution at EU level, bringing robust solutions for businesses and investors in the Single Market.“

As set out in the Commission’s Communication on Digital Taxation, solutions to taxing the digital economy should ideally be found at international level, given the global nature of the problem. However, the EU also needs to develop its own coherent approach to this challenge, to ensure the fair and effective taxation of all companies and to support the Digital Single Market. As requested by leaders at the European Council on 19 October 2017, the Commission is working on new proposals on digital taxation, which it will present in early 2018.

The Commission is particularly interested in gathering views on the main problems related to taxing the digital economy, for Member States and business. It also asks for feedback on possible solutions to these problems – both targeted, temporary measures and comprehensive long-term solutions. This public consultation will feed into the work underway on the digital taxation proposals for next year and runs until 3 January 2018.

For more information:

Public consultation on the fair taxation of the digital economy

Commission Communication on digital taxation

Press release on the Communication on digital taxation

MEMO

Factsheet on Digital Taxation

Eurojust/Europol joint press release

26 October 2017

Judicial and law enforcement authorities from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, the Netherlands and the UK, supported by Eurojust and Europol, took action early today against a Europe-wide organised criminal group (OCG).

The OCG is suspected of facilitating unlawful immigration from countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Vietnam into the European Union in breach of immigration law. The OCG is also suspected of money laundering. The OCG is believed to have transported migrants in specially adapted vehicles, passing through Bulgaria, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, with the final destination being the UK.

Investigations into the OCG began in 2016 in the UK and the Netherlands, and links were detected to the other three Member States. UK and Dutch authorities brought the investigation to the attention of the affected Member States at a meeting of the North Sea Task Force, the establishment of which had been agreed at Eurojust with the objective of enhancing cooperation in tackling illegal immigrant smuggling in the UK, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

Eurojust opened a case in January 2017. At the first of two coordination meetings organised by and held at Eurojust, national authorities from the UK, Belgium, Bulgaria, France and the Netherlands took the decision to form a joint investigation team (JIT). All five Member States, plus Eurojust and Europol, joined the JIT in June 2017. The terms of the JIT were negotiated and drafted by Eurojust, and Eurojust also provided funding for the JIT.

Europol provided extensive analytical support to the JIT throughout its operation, and held two operational meetings in The Hague to discuss the law enforcement response to the OCG. Europol supported the action day by providing dedicated analysts for the operation and deploying its mobile office to the UK Command & Control Centre. Information gathered during the day of action was analysed and exchanged in real time and immediately cross-matched. A coordination centre was held at Eurojust, with support provided by Eurojust’s National Desks and Operations Unit.

Today’s action :

• 5 Member States: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, the Netherlands and the UK
• 26 suspects were arrested: 8 in Belgium, 7 in Bulgaria, 11in the UK
• 6 European Arrest Warrants were executed
• 42 searches were carried out: 13 in Belgium, 7 in Bulgaria, 22 in the UK
• Several illegal migrants wer found during the searches in Belgium and the UK.

For further information about the actions carried out today in a specific Member State, please contact the press services of the national authorities:

UK:
Catherine Ellis, Press Officer, Home Office
T: 0121 713 3187 (mobile: 0788 0081676)
Home Office News desk: 0207 035 3535
Catherine.Ellis9@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Belgium:
Belgian Federal Prosecution Office
Eric.vandersypt@just.fgov.be

Bulgaria:
rarnaudova@prb.bg
T: 00 359 882 11 42 78

France:
Delphine.Le-Bail@justice.fr
Antoine.Berthelot@justice.fr

Netherlands:
Jeichien de Graaff, Press Officer, Regional Prosecutor’s Office Rotterdam
T: 0031.88.6992102

Eurojust/Europol joint press release

26 October 2017

Judicial and law enforcement authorities from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, the Netherlands and the UK, supported by Eurojust and Europol, took action early today against a Europe-wide organised criminal group (OCG).

The OCG is suspected of facilitating unlawful immigration from countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Vietnam into the European Union in breach of immigration law. The OCG is also suspected of money laundering. The OCG is believed to have transported migrants in specially adapted vehicles, passing through Bulgaria, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, with the final destination being the UK.

Investigations into the OCG began in 2016 in the UK and the Netherlands, and links were detected to the other three Member States. UK and Dutch authorities brought the investigation to the attention of the affected Member States at a meeting of the North Sea Task Force, the establishment of which had been agreed at Eurojust with the objective of enhancing cooperation in tackling illegal immigrant smuggling in the UK, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

Eurojust opened a case in January 2017. At the first of two coordination meetings organised by and held at Eurojust, national authorities from the UK, Belgium, Bulgaria, France and the Netherlands took the decision to form a joint investigation team (JIT). All five Member States, plus Eurojust and Europol, joined the JIT in June 2017. The terms of the JIT were negotiated and drafted by Eurojust, and Eurojust also provided funding for the JIT.

Europol provided extensive analytical support to the JIT throughout its operation, and held two operational meetings in The Hague to discuss the law enforcement response to the OCG. Europol supported the action day by providing dedicated analysts for the operation and deploying its mobile office to the UK Command & Control Centre. Information gathered during the day of action was analysed and exchanged in real time and immediately cross-matched. A coordination centre was held at Eurojust, with support provided by Eurojust’s National Desks and Operations Unit.

Today’s action :

• 5 Member States: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, the Netherlands and the UK
• 26 suspects were arrested: 8 in Belgium, 7 in Bulgaria, 11in the UK
• 6 European Arrest Warrants were executed
• 42 searches were carried out: 13 in Belgium, 7 in Bulgaria, 22 in the UK
• Several illegal migrants wer found during the searches in Belgium and the UK.

For further information about the actions carried out today in a specific Member State, please contact the press services of the national authorities:

UK:
Catherine Ellis, Press Officer, Home Office
T: 0121 713 3187 (mobile: 0788 0081676)
Home Office News desk: 0207 035 3535
Catherine.Ellis9@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Belgium:
Belgian Federal Prosecution Office
Eric.vandersypt@just.fgov.be

Bulgaria:
rarnaudova@prb.bg
T: 00 359 882 11 42 78

France:
Delphine.Le-Bail@justice.fr
Antoine.Berthelot@justice.fr

Netherlands:
Jeichien de Graaff, Press Officer, Regional Prosecutor’s Office Rotterdam
T: 0031.88.6992102