Judicial cooperation: financial penalties, mutual recognition. Framework Decision. Initiative France, Sweden and United Kingdom

The Council, on the basis of a Presidency compromise text, examined the proposal on the Framework Decision on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to financial penalties. Delegations commented mainly on the list of offences for which double criminality will not apply. As the original compromise text which was discussed at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 19 December 2002, the new Presidency text follows the approach that the Framework Decision should cover all offences and that, as regards the offences listed in the Framework Decision as well as road traffic offences, the principle of double criminality will not apply. The Council instructed its relevant bodies to pursue work on the draft Framework Decision with a view to reaching an agreement at one of its forthcoming meetings.�