Vitorino confident states will meet arrest warrant deadline

Date: 11/09/03

By Martin Banks

ONLY three of the 15 member states have so far transposed into national legislation the law on an EU-wide arrest warrant, which is due to be introduced on 1 January 2004. However, Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner António Vitorino told members of the European Parliament's citizens' freedoms and rights committee that he was optimistic that most, if not all, member states will respect the time-frame for implementation of the warrant.

There are concerns that some countries, including Italy, current holder of the EU presidency, may not meet the deadline, leaving them open to possible infringement action by the European Commission.

The warrant is designed to replace current lengthy extradition procedures and reduce the time taken to return someone for trial from abroad, which can take up to six years at present.

Under the new rules, fast-tracked cases within the EU will be dealt with in three months. Some committee members told Vitorino, however, they still had serious concerns the proposed warrant - intended to extradite serious criminals - could infringe people's basic civil liberties.

UK Liberal MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford said the EU would face a "huge" public backlash unless it included safeguards for suspects and defendants facing extradition.

She told the 8 September meeting the current proposals were "fundamentally unsatisfactory", citing the well-publicized case of the British and Dutch plane spotters who were convicted of spying by the Greek authorities before their convictions were overturned on appeal.

She said: "It's a disgrace that these people didn't even have a proper interpreter during their trial, meaning they could not follow the proceedings properly.

"We need to ensure that once the arrest warrant has been introduced, basic fundamental rights for suspects will be closely monitored on a consistent basis."

By September 2003, only three Member States had transposed into national legislation the law on an EU-wide arrest warrant, which is due to be introduced on 1 January 2004