EU Governments fail on justice promises

10.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 11th Jun 2007

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokeswoman, has condemned the expected declaration of failure of the UK Home Secretary and his counterparts at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting tomorrow (June 12th-13th) to agree after 3 years of argument on a measure to ensure that suspects' and defendants' rights are protected EU-wide by concrete safeguards.

She said:

"It is scandalous that EU states, deploying the national veto, are unable to agree even on minimalist defence protections like information on rights and access to a lawyer and interpreter as an accompaniment to prosecution instruments like the European Arrest Warrant (EAW).

"While the EAW has proved its worth, it is a breach of promise to fail to remedy concerns about unfair treatment for suspects in weaker states which are undermining trust in European cross-border crime cooperation.

"It is inexplicable that some Member States, with the UK in the lead, see EU-wide safeguards as a major threat to sovereignty. All the lofty talk about constructing a European zone of freedom, security and justice is just so much hot air if rights end at borders."