Directive 2014/42/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the freezing and confiscation of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime in the European Union

This instrument aims at making it easier for Member States’ authorities to confiscate and recover the profits that criminals make from cross-border serious and organised crime. It lays down minimum rules with respect to freezing and confiscation of criminal assets through direct confiscation, value confiscation, extended confiscation, non-conviction based confiscation (in restricted circumstances) and third-party confiscation. It replaces Joint Action 98/699/JHA and  certain provisions of Framework Decisions 2001/500/JHA and 2005/212/JHA. Ireland participates in the adoption of this directive. The United Kingdom and Denmark are not taking part.