Didier Reynders

A recently unveiled Europol report has shown the pervasive influence of criminal networks in the European Union, particularly implicating Bulgarians, Romanians, Serbs, and Ukrainians in the most perilous operations related to human trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation.

Four prominent international organizations representing magistrates have issued a resounding call to action, urging the Council of Europe and the European Union to intervene swiftly in response to alarming threats faced by Bulgarian judges.

As tensions escalate in Ukraine, a night of relentless Russian airstrikes leaves devastation and casualties in its wake, spanning over five hours across various regions of the country.

The European Parliament debated rule of law backsliding and media freedom issues in Greece on Wednesday, after criticism and warnings from journalists, civil society and MEPs.

The European Commission is expected to present its latest legislation on countering migrant smuggling in Brussels on Tuesday, which sets out a new "legal, operational and international cooperation framework."

Bulgaria still lacks a sufficient number of final convictions for corruption at the highest levels of government. This is stated in the report of the European Commission on the rule of law in the member states, published today.

Some 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in Russian-owned assets managed by Cyprus-registered companies were frozen in compliance with sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, Cyprus' Finance Ministry said Tuesday.

The European Union's executive arm wants to delve deeper into why Cyprus has only frozen 100 million euros ($110 million) worth of assets belonging to Russians facing sanctions amid the war in Ukraine, the bloc's justice commissioner said Thursday.

European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, will visit Athens on March 16 and 17, to discuss the EU's findings of the Rule of Law 2022 report for Greece, and other justice-related issues.

(L-R) European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Commissioner for Budget Johannes Hahn and European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, announce the freezing of funds to Hungary  in Brussels, Belgium, 30 November 2022. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET Dual-track approach