Report on the implementation of Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on the European arrest warrant and the surrender procedures between Member States

Summary:

Report published by the European Commission on 2 July 2020, setting out the state of implementation of Council Framework Decision from June 2002 on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) and the surrender procedures between Member States.

Further information:

Council Framework Decision - adopted on 13 June 2002 - on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedures between Member States was the first EU legal instrument on cooperation in criminal matters based on the principle of mutual recognition. Since its adoption, it became a widely used instrument for judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the European Union (EU). The Framework Decision was amended in 2009 concerning trials in absentia - Council Framework Decision 2009/299/JHA. The procedural rights of persons arrested on the basis of a EAW were strengthened by other legal acts throughout the years.

This is the fourth report implementation report for the Framework Decision. The general assessment in this report highlights that the EAW remains an essential tool in the area of judicial cooperation in criminal matters. It enabled the prosecution of suspects of criminal offences in the EU. It shows a satisfactory level of implementation of the Framework Decision. However, the assessment of national implementing measures also reveals a number of compliance issues. This concerns in particular additional grounds for refusal and non-observation of time limits. Such deficiencies could limit the effectiveness of the EAW altogether.

Official

European Commission: Press Release, 02/07/2020: Commission reports on European arrest warrant: 56,000 persons surrendered since 2005, Member States need to improve implementation https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1245

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