The European public prosecutor's office: king without kingdom? CEPS Research Report No. 2017/03, February 2017

Pursuant to Article 86 TFEU, in July 2013 the Commission issued a Proposal for a Council Regulation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), i.e. the European body that shall be empowered to investigate and prosecute crimes affecting the financial interests of the EU. This contribution analyses the most relevant features of the (probably) forthcoming Office, as it is envisaged in the text currently under negotiation in the Council. The EPPO will extensively depend upon national law, not only because the defendants will be tried before domestic courts, but also because the final text is expected to include only a limited number of rules regulating the investigations and the prosecutions of the Office. This contribution looks at the EPPO mainly from this perspective of the problematic intersection of EU law and national law, evaluating whether such a mixed regulation is functional to the aim of guaranteeing a better protection of EU financial interests. Being the first European body competent to adopt decisions vis-à-visthe individuals in the sensitive field of criminal law, the EPPO could represent a Copernican revolution in the history of EU (criminal) law. However, the analysis shows that this potentially revolutionary leap forward has turned out to be quite complicated. It is contentious that the Office – with the currently envisaged structure and powers – will enhance the fight against crimes affecting the financial interests of the Union, so that the need of establishing such a new body should be carefully assessed

Raising the bar? Thoughts on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. CEPS Policy Insights No 2017/39, 30 November 2017

After almost four years of negotiation and 20 years of academic and political debate, the Council Regulation setting up the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) was approved in October 2017, in the framework of the enhanced cooperation established in April 2017. The creation of a European prosecuting authority is a historic achievement for the European Union, especially when a wave of populism – as epitomised by Brexit – has undermined the process of integration. The EPPO Regulation is probably the most ambitious instrument of EU law adopted so far, since it creates the first EU body with direct powers regarding individuals in the field of criminal law. The Office will be empowered to investigate and prosecute crimes affecting the financial interests of the EU. Recent calls, including those from Commission President Juncker and French President Macron, for an extension of the EPPO’s powers to cases of cross-border terrorism bode well for the likely acceptance of this Office in the EU in the years to come. Yet the final text of the Regulation raises several concerns, such as those relating to the impact of supranational investigations on human rights and, more generally, about the expected effectiveness of the Office, given its cumbersome and multi-layered architecture. This paper looks at the main provisions of the Regulation and the challenges it poses, focusing on the structure, powers, and competence of the EPPO. It also considers the judicial review of its acts, the protection of the rights of suspects and accused persons, and relations between the Office and its partners. The analysis shows that the Commission’s innovative vision of a centralised prosecution at EU level, with its echoes of federalism, has been watered down in negotiations in the Council and replaced with the usual intergovernmental, collegiate vision that underpins numerous EU judicial cooperation structures and instruments

Disarming a ticking bomb: Can the Withdrawal Agreement ensure EU-UK judicial and police cooperation after Brexit? CEPS Policy Insights No 2018/16, December 2018

Maintaining strong cooperation in police and criminal justice matters after Brexit is a matter of priority for the EU and the UK. However, the departure of the country from the Union raises the question of whether current EU legislation in the field will still be able to apply to future EU-UK relationships in areas such as extradition, evidence-gathering, and information-sharing. In November 2018, EU and UK negotiators reached a common position on the content of the Withdrawal Agreement, though a few procedural steps are required before its entry into force, notably the approval of the UK Parliament. The Agreement is based on the principle that the UK remains bound during the transition period by EU acts applicable to it upon its withdrawal. Hence, the country will continue to participate in EU agencies, mutual recognition instruments and information-sharing mechanisms until the end of the transition period. The adoption of the Agreement is thus an essential precondition for avoiding ‘cliff-edge’ scenarios where the UK, in the aftermath of Brexit, would be abruptly prevented from exchanging European Arrest Warrants with other member states or from participating in Europol or Eurojust

Criminal Justice and Police Cooperation between the EU and the UK after Brexit: Towards a principled and trust-based partnership. CEPS Task Force Reports

Brexit poses major challenges for future interaction between the EU and the UK in the areas of criminal justice and police cooperation. A new legal framework will be required to sustain the EU’s relations with the UK – an active participant in numerous EU criminal justice and police cooperation instruments – once it leaves the Union. The negotiations on the exit of the UK from the EU must grapple with the crucial question of how and to what extent can the two parties continue to maintain effective arrangements for fighting cross-border crime, while at the same time guaranteeing compliance with the rule of law and fundamental rights. This report is the result of intensive deliberations among members of a Task Force set up jointly by CEPS and the School of Law at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), who met regularly throughout the first half of 2018. It examines the feasibility of retaining the current EU–UK framework for cooperation in these critical fields and explores possible alternatives to the status quo. It also delves into the conditions under which the UK could continue to participate in EU instruments and relevant EU agencies engaged in cooperation in criminal matters and to have access to justice and home affairs databases and other information-sharing tools. In their conclusions, the members offer a set of specific policy options for the EU and the UK to consider after Brexit with a view to developing an effective partnership in the areas of criminal justice and security based on trust and shared values

Tailoring haemophilia A prophylaxis with BAY 81-8973: A case series

BAY 81-8973 is an unmodified, full-length third generation recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) which offers a more favorable pharmacokinetic (PK) profile, compared to its predecessor sucrose-formulated rFVIII (rFVIII-FS). We here report on a retrospective case series of nine patients affected by hemophilia A (HA), with variable disease severity, bleeding phenotype and comorbidities, to underline our clinical practice on prophylaxis with a recently introduced standard hall-life recombinant Factor VIII. The current case series highlights how the current clinical management of hemophilia is able to personalize treatment in several specific conditions like concomitant illnesses with thrombotic risk and allergic reactions

First real-world data on universal respiratory syncytial virus prophylaxis with Nirsevimab in infants

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) predominantly affects young children, with a peak incidence in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere from October to May. Children under 24 months of age are particularly vulnerable because of the immaturity of their lungs and immune systems, which often leads to severe respiratory infections. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes RSV as a global health priority. Recently, Nirsevimab, a long-acting mAb, was authorised to prevent RSV in infants. Our narrative review brings together the field effectiveness data of Nirsevimab available in the literature, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the published studies and the prevention opportunities represented by the new preparation. All studies reviewed provide evidence for the effectiveness of immunisation with Nirsevimab in real-world settings, beyond the controlled conditions of clinical trials, and highlight its safety and feasibility. Nirsevimab significantly reduces RSV hospitalisations and ICU admissions. High coverage and high efficacy of immunisation have been reported, although supply issues and variability in studies present challenges. Continued research and surveillance are critical to understanding the long-term effectiveness of Nirsevimab. Overall, available data provide valuable insights into the efficacy, safety, and impact of immunisation with Nirsevimab in preventing severe RSV infections in infants, highlighting its potential to reduce the burden of RSV-related hospitalisations and improve paediatric health outcomes

Green Extraction Approaches for Carotenoids and Esters: Characterization of Native Composition from Orange Peel

Abstract: Orange peel is a by-product produced in large amounts that acts as a source of natural pigments such as carotenoids. Xanthophylls, the main carotenoid class found in citrus fruit, can be present in its free form or esterified with fatty acids, forming esters. This esterification modifies the compound’s chemical properties, affecting their bioavailability in the human body, and making it important to characterize the native carotenoid composition of food matrices. We aimed to evaluate the non-saponified carotenoid extracts of orange peel (cv. Pera) obtained using alternative green approaches: extraction with ionic liquid (IL), analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and mass spectrometry HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS, and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), followed by supercritical fluid chromatography with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry detection (SFC-APCI/QqQ/MS) in an online system. Both alternative green methods were successfully applied, allowing the total identification of five free carotenoids, one apocarotenoid, seven monoesters, and 11 diesters in the extract obtained with IL and analyzed by HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS, and nine free carotenoids, six carotenoids esters, 19 apocarotenoids, and eight apo-esters with the SFE-SFC-APCI/QqQ/MS approach, including several free apocarotenoids and apocarotenoid esters identified for the first time in oranges, and particularly in the Pera variety, which could be used as a fruit authenticity parameter.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Bioscience Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Silva Jardin 136, 11015-020 Santos, BrazilDepartment of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Annunziata, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Mathematical and Computer Science, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, ItalyFederal Institute of São Paulo, Av. Clara Gianotti de Souza 5180, 11900-000 Registro, BrazilChemistry Department, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luíz, Km 235, 13565-905 São Carlos, BrazilChromaleont s.r.l., c/o Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, ItalyBeSep s.r.l., c/o Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, ItalyUnit of Food Science and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, 00128 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical, Dental, Morphological and Functional Imaging Sciences, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyBioscience Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Silva Jardin 136, 11015-020 Santos, BrazilFAPESP: 2015/26789-5FAPESP: 2016/18910-1FAPESP: 2017/20861-1FAPESP: 2019/25303-

QUIN 2.0 - new release of the QUaternary fault strain INdicators database from the Southern Apennines of Italy

QUIN database integrates and organizes structural-geological information from published and unpublished sources to constrain deformation in seismotectonic studies. The initial release, QUIN1.0, comprised 3,339 Fault Striation Pairs, mapped on 445 sites exposed along the Quaternary faults of central Italy. The present Data Descriptor introduces the QUIN 2.0 release, which includes 4,297 Fault Striation Pairs on 738 Structural Sites from southern Italy. The newly investigated faults span ~500 km along the Apennines chain, with strikes transitioning from ~SE to ~SW and comprehensively details Fault Striation Pairs’ location, attitude, kinematics, and deformation axes. Additionally, it offers a shapefile of the fault traces hosting the data. The QUIN 2.0 release offers a significant geographic extension to the QUIN 1.0, with comprehensive description of local geometric-kinematic complexities of the regional pattern. The QUIN data may be especially relevant for constraining intra-Apennine potential seismogenic deformation patterns, where earthquake data only offer scattered or incomplete information. QUIN’s data will support studies aimed at enhancing geological understanding, hazard assessment and comprehension of fault rupture propagation and barriers

A follow-up study of heroin addicts (VEdeTTE2): study design and protocol

BACKGROUND: In Italy, a large cohort study (VEdeTTE1) was conducted between 1998–2001 to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments in reducing mortality and increasing treatment retention among heroin addicts. The follow-up of this cohort (VEdeTTE2) was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments on long-term outcomes, such as rehabilitation and social re-integration. The purpose of this paper is to describe the protocol of the VEdeTTE2 study, and to present the results of the pilot study carried out to assess the feasibility of the study and to improve study procedures. METHODS: The source population for the VEdeTTE2 study was the VEdeTTE1 cohort, from which a sample of 2,200 patients, traced two or more years after enrolment in the cohort, were asked to participate. An interview investigates drug use; overdose; family and social re-integration. Illegal activity are investigated separately in a questionnaire completed by the patient. Patients are also asked to provide a hair sample to test for heroin and cocaine use. Information on treatments and HIV, HBV and HCV morbidity are obtained from clinical records. A pilot phase was planned and carried out on 60 patients. RESULTS: The results of the pilot phase pointed out the validity of the procedures designed to limit attrition: the number of traced subjects was satisfactory (88%). Moreover, the pilot phase was very useful in identifying possible causes of delays and attrition, and flaws in the instruments. Improvements to the procedures and the instruments were subsequently implemented. Sensitivity of the biological test was quite good for heroin (78%) but lower for cocaine (42.3%), highlighting the need to obtain a hair sample from all patients. CONCLUSION: In drug addiction research, studies investigating health status and social re-integration of subjects at long-term follow-up are lacking. The VEdeTTE2 study aims to investigate these outcomes at long-term follow-up. Results of the pilot phase underline the importance of the pilot phase when planning a follow-up study