Justice Commissioner sounds note of warning on citizenship sales
European Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova has sounded yet another note of warning on citizenship sales, criticising some member states’ practice of awarding ‘golden passports’ to rich people from outside the bloc
She said that EU states needed to do more to ensure that citizenship was not given to criminals.
Brussels argues that citizenship should be awarded only in cases where there is a genuine link to the country concerned, but decisions are a matter for individual countries.
Malta and Cyprus are among those that have drawn criticism.
Justice Commissioner Jourova was quoted as telling German daily Die Welt that awarding citizenship could be a “serious security risk” because it confers rights including free movement inside the 28-nation EU.
She said that “some countries must do more so that citizenship is not awarded to criminals who want to endanger Europe’s security or engage in money-laundering.” She did not name any culprits.
Jourova said the EU’s executive Commission would examine each member country’s practices in granting citizenship to people from outside the bloc. She said she had brought forward a report on the issue from December to this autumn.
“The EU will then issue new, tougher guidelines calling for member countries to guarantee that candidates for citizenship won’t damage the bloc,” she added.
Commission closely following Maltese Individual Investor Programme
Last June in Malta, Commissioner Jourova had sounded an earlier note of warning, saying: “Another area the Commission is following closely is the Maltese Individual Investor Programme.
“Becoming a Maltese citizen also means becoming an EU citizen with all its rights, including freedom of movement.
“The Commission’s role is to guarantee that EU citizenship is delivered to people who actually have links to the country in which they apply for citizenship.
“In 2014, the Commission required the Maltese authorities to only give Maltese citizenship to people who have a real link with the country and actually reside in the country for at least one year.
“I want to be reassured that this link is effectively respected.
“My teams are now working on a report looking into national schemes granting EU citizenship to investors. It will be based on an in-depth, fact-finding study, which will look in detail at legislation and practice in all member states concerned, including Malta. This report will be published at the end of 2018.”
That publication has, according to yesterday’s interview, been moved forward from December to autumn, in a possible sign that the Commission intends to speed things up in the area.
Commissioner Jourova, along with two EP delegations to Malta on the rule of law, have agreed there could be a link between citizenship sales and money laundering. Malta was recently given two months to comply fully with the EU’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
Speaking in Malta last June, Commissioner Jourova said: “Another topic that is important for each and every EU country is anti-money laundering measures. Following the Panama Papers and a series of terrorist attacks in Europe, we have to step up the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
“I fear there are gaps in the Maltese system.
“Firstly, the transposition of the EU’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which Malta – like a number of other member states – still needs to transpose fully.
“Secondly, I am also very worried about all the events surrounding Pilatus Bank, and what this has shown, more generally, is the challenges Malta faces when applying the existing anti-money laundering rules.”
She said that was why she had urged the European Banking Authority (EBA) to investigate possible breaches by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU). That was done and the EBA had come down hard on the FIAU, despite protestations from the latter.
Commissioner Jourova added: “The fight against money laundering is not just about protecting our financial systems; the gaps in one member state have an impact on all others. The money laundered in one country can, and often does, support crime in another country.
“And Malta is not the only country where we see problems. Until the end of my mandate, I will focus on putting pressure everywhere, wherever we identify gaps.
“We don’t want any EU country to become a safe haven for criminals or corrupt people to launder money.
“We owe it to Maltese citizens, and to all EU citizens.”