Criminal Finances: EU Directive on Fraud and Counterfeiting

(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)

Thursday 18th January 2018 Written Statements

[The Minister for Security and Economic Crime (Mr Ben Wallace)]

The Government have decided that the UK will not opt in to the directive on combating fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash means of payment.

The UK’s domestic legislation is already compliant with the majority of the directive’s measures, and in relation to the offences and sentences set out in the directive, the UK goes further than the standards set within the directive for:

The effective co-operation for the fraudulent use of payment instruments, and;

The preparatory offences, the use of information systems and other tools to support fraudulent use.

Following careful consideration we have concluded that there would be no benefit to the UK opting in to this measure.

The UK strongly supports international efforts to tackle fraud. The UK works closely with other EU member states and will continue to do so despite the decision not to opt in. The UK has consistently advocated that international co-operation is required to tackle fraud, and we are committed to supporting member states, and other countries, in this regard.

[HCWS410]