Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, presents the implementation report to the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) in the European Parliament in Brussel.

Brussels

statement

meeting

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

European arrest warrant (T)

RANGEL, Paulo (EPP, PT)

REYNDERS, Didier (BE, EC)

DALY, Clare (The Left, IE)

DELBOS-CORFIELD, Gwendoline (Greens/EFA, FR)

Implementation of the European Arrest Warrant and the Surrender Procedures between Member States: extracts from the exchange of views with Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice

Views in the meeting room during the debate.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gwendoline DELBOS-CORFIELD (Greens/EFA, FR), We can all agree that there are deficiencies in judicial cooperation across Europe, but this has led to many unfortunate cases for individuals that could have been avoided, including massive miscarriages of justice. I thought our priority with the European arrest warrant should be in applying justice in a fair, transparent and equal manner and ensuring that EU values and fundamental rights are upheld throughout the process. We need to guarantee minimum standards on detention and prison conditions across the EU as a precondition for executing any European powers warrant. We would welcome a Commission communication on the list of 32 serious crimes and harmonization measures, and we would warn against an exhaustive list of offenses. The word offenses may be also a question, as it has already been said, as proposed by the rapporteur.

SOUNDBITE (English), Clare DALY (GUE/NGL, IE), I think it's a very important mechanism. I think as well, probably the earliest anybody got to hear about the European arrest warrant was the case of Julian Assange. And it would be a mistake to let this opportunity go without mentioning that case, which is currently underway in the United Kingdom. Ten years on a high security prison, despite the fact that he is in ill health and that members of this parliament were prevented from monitoring that trial by video link. It has huge repercussions for for journalism and worldwide.

SOUNDBITE (English), Paulo RANGEL (EPP, PT), The cooperation in criminal matters is an essential item for the area of free movement. As the rapporteur point out Schengen is clearly affected if the European Arrest Warrant fails. The Schengen Information System, that it is one of the pillars of our freedom movement area is the system to transmit European arrest warrant. I must say that the cornerstone for this instrument - for this instrument to work appropriately- is mutual trust. There can be no recognition in member states' legal systems and judicial authorities if they do not trust each other&rsquo;s. That includes, naturally, compliance with fundamental rights, procedural guarantees and the rule of law. So clarification harmonisation and consolidation in these areas are of crucial importance .

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, The Commission dubs that improving of the warrant system requires a revision of the framework decision. The Court of Justice has shown that the decision can be interpreted in a way that effectively protects fundamental rights. A number of issues were not created by the open arrest warrant itself, but existed in the prior extradition system and essentially flow from domestic shortcomings in the member states. This includes, in particular, detention conditions, length of pre-trial detention or fundamental rights breaches. And I have explained that in my introductory remarks, a successful system is entirely , dependent on good cooperation between member states. A number of high profile individual cases in recent years have come to the attention of the Commission and of the media. But one should be careful to draw far reaching conclusion from individual cases.