In rem confiscation in EU law after the Agro in 2001 judgement. The Polish perspective

In the scientific discourse on depriving illicit assets there have been disputes about the admissibility of solutions assuming the possibility of confiscating property without the prior conviction of the owner (so-called in rem confiscation) from the European law perspective. This issue was raised in the judgment of the CJEU in the case C-234/18 Agro in 2001. In this case, the CJEU found that the Bulgarian provisions on civil confiscation are in line with EU law on confiscation. This paper discusses the circumstances and consequences of the ruling of the CJEU and, in particular, the context of Bulgarian provisions on the confiscation of property, the margin of Member States appreciation in creating a non-penal (i.e. detached from the requirement of conviction) procedure for the confiscation of property in domestic law. The procedural consequences are examined from the Polish perspective, i.e. the impact of the judgment on the interpretation of provisions which govern the execution of confiscation orders issued by courts of other Member States