European arrest warrant

The European arrest warrant is a judicial decision issued by a judicial authority of an EU Member State for the arrest and surrender by another Member State of a person wanted for a criminal prosecution or the execution of a custodial sentence.

It is a tool, which strengthened cooperation between Member States’ judicial authorities based on the principle of mutual recognition of decisions in criminal matters.

The European arrest warrant is based on a Framework Decision adopted by the Council on 13 June 2002 and amended in 2009.

Several EU directives on procedural rights adopted between 2010 and 2016 ensure that persons who are the subject of a European arrest warrant:

• have the right of access to a lawyer and to legal aid;
• are entitled to interpretation and translation of the European arrest warrant;
• receive information on their rights.

SEE ALSO

• EU justice policy
• Police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters
• Fair trial: suspects’ right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings (summary)
• Legal aid in criminal proceedings (summary)
• More effective extradition procedures: European arrest warrant (summary)
• Right to access a lawyer in criminal and European warrant arrest proceedings (summary)
• Right to information in criminal proceedings (summary)
• European arrest warrant (European Commission).