The international conference on “The challenges in the field of economic and financial crime in Europe” hosted on 2 and 3 December 2014 by the University of Luxembourg at the Cité judiciaire in Luxembourg attracted more than 100 participants from all over Europe and the United States.

Organised by Professor Katalin Ligeti and Dr Vanessa Franssen of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance, in cooperation with the European Criminal Law Academic Network (ECLAN), the conference explored how criminal justice systems deal with contemporary global challenges in the field of economic and financial crime. The two-day programme included cutting-edge presentations by academics, defence lawyers, prosecutors as well as policy-makers from various European countries and the United States.

They dealt for instance with:

• the impact of systemic risks in a globalised economy;
• the role and impact of leniency and whistleblowers’ programmes;
• the need for specialised authorities and coherent enforcement;
• the uncertainties about applicable procedural safeguards in a transnational context.

Furthermore, various speakers highlighted the necessity of a clear legal framework for transnational cooperation.

“It was an extremely inspiring conference and we will definitely continue working in this field. There is an important role for academics to reflect upon a more coherent enforcement of economic and financial crime and to help create a level-playing field with adequate safeguards for individuals and corporations, especially when they act globally,” Professor Ligeti concluded the event.

The conference is part of a research project funded by the University of Luxembourg. The research project examines how various criminal justice systems in the EU and the United States deal with contemporary challenges in the field of economic and financial crime. It aims at evaluating whether these supranational and national answers are legitimate and justifiable in the light of the existing European ‘constitutional’ framework for criminal law.

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For further information, please contact Katalin Ligeti, Professor of European and International Criminal Law or Dr Vanessa Franssen.