Europe at a glance -

Across Europe, law makers are steadily expanding the circumstances in which companies can be found liable (whether criminally or otherwise) for the criminal conduct of their employees and other representatives. In many jurisdictions, companies are having to grapple with a lack of guidance and certainty as to how they can mitigate the risk of this liability arising.

The fight against money laundering features high on the agenda of most European jurisdictions. Implementation of the Fourth EU Money Laundering Directive (MLD4) and expansions to the scope of existing money laundering offences and confiscation powers have occupied many jurisdictions.

The prosecution of taxation offences is now a sufficiently recurring white collar theme to justify its own section in this report. Finally, we may be seeing the very early signs of corporate criminal settlements (whether by deferred prosecution agreement or otherwise) gathering pace.