EU arrest warrant not for ‘bicycle thieves’

EU Observer - Valentina Pop

EU arrest warrants are useful tools to catch drug smugglers, murderers and rapists, but member states should refrain from using them for petty criminals such as 'bicycle thieves,' justice commissioner Viviane Reding has said.

"The European arrest warrant is an important tool to catch criminals, but member sates should ensure that it is used correctly … not issued mechanically for crimes that are not very serious such as bicycle theft," Reding said in a press statement on Monday.

According to Fair Trials, a UK advocacy group fighting for the rights of people extradited and jailed in other countries, a retired British schoolteacher and grandfather is currently facing extradition to Poland for going over his bank overdraft limit more than 10 years ago.

"Time will tell whether this is enough to stop the excessive use of this tick-box system by some countries. Urgent steps are needed to reform the European arrest warrant, to make sure it fights serious cross-border crime effectively without compromising fundamental rights in the process," Catherine Head from Fair Trials said in a press statement.

The EU commission will table legislative proposals by the end of this year to step up training for police, prosecutors and judges on the arrest warrant "to ensure consistency and effectiveness" and to avoid abuses such as the ones flagged up by Fair Trials.