May 7, 2009, 1:17 pm

Europeans need to feel safe travelling and working abroad

Today the European Parliament adopted a report on the future of European Criminal Justice legislation. The report wishes to improve the monitoring of the implementation of EU criminal justice legislation and judicial training. It furthermore strongly supports the adoption of new legislation ensuring adequate procedural safeguards.

Sarah Ludford (LibDem, UK) comments: "Instruments like the European Arrest Warrant are based on mutual trust. The Member States are under a continuous obligation to show that they deserve that trust by adherence to the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights and by producing properly drafted European arrest warrants that deserve recognition."

"In times of crisis there is also an economic argument to be made for enhancing fair trial rights across the EU. We've all seen the television programmes of tourists going to Spain or Italy to start up a business, build a house or seek another place in the sun. In addition many of us travel and work across Europe. But what happens if that building contract proves fraudulent, someone stashed drugs in your back pack or worse even in the back of your truck? Do you feel comfortable in explaining the matter in Italian, Spanish or Greek?"

"It is high time that the Member States get their act together and ensure that people caught up in the criminal justice systems of other Member States are made aware of their rights, obtain adequate legal assistance, have access to a good quality interpreter and have documents relevant to their case translated."

Link to the report: http://www.europarl.ep.ec/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+REPORT+A6-...
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For more information, please contact:
For further information
Neil Corlett: +33-3-88 17 41 67 or +32-478-78 22 84
e-mail: neil.corlett@europarl.europa.eu
Jeroen Reijnen: +33-3-88 17 42 75 or +32-473-39 47 10
Web: http://www.alde.eu