EUROPA - Press Releases - European = Commission seeks views on detention in the EU's area of = justice

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European Commission = seeks=20 views on detention in the EU's area of justice

Reference: IP/11/702 Date: =20 14/06/2011


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European Commission = - Press=20 release

European Commission seeks = views on=20 detention in the EU's area of justice

Brussels, 14 June = 2011=20 =E2=80=93 Europeans must have confidence that they will be treated = to similar=20 standards of protection no matter where they are in the European = Union. EU=20 Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding presented a Green Paper today = asking=20 10 questions on how to strengthen mutual trust in the field of = detention.=20 Detention conditions and periods vary widely = between EU=20 countries. While national governments are solely responsible for = detention=20 issues and prison management, it is the European Commission's role = to make=20 sure judicial cooperation in the EU works and fundamental rights = are=20 respected when EU mutual recognition instruments =E2=80=93 such as = the European=20 Arrest Warrant =E2=80=93 are implemented.

"For=20 EU countries to cooperate in tackling crime and making justice = systems=20 work, there needs to be mutual trust between judicial authorities = in the=20 EU," said Vice-President Reding, = the EU's=20 Justice Commissioner. "Prison conditions are a = national=20 responsibility. The aim of the Commission's work should be made = clear from=20 the outset: we need to strengthen mutual knowledge about our = systems and=20 reinforce mutual trust to ensure an effective application of the = principle=20 of mutual recognition so that an EU area of justice can be = effective."=20

The Green Paper = kicks off a=20 public consultation that will run until 30 November and will help = to=20 explore more closely the links between detention issues and mutual = trust=20 in the EU's area of justice. Detention conditions can have a = direct impact=20 on the smooth functioning of mutual recognition of judicial = decisions =E2=80=93=20 the basis for cooperation between judges in the EU. For = example, the=20 European Arrest Warrant =E2=80=93 in effect since 2004 = =E2=80=93 provides an=20 efficient tool for extraditing people suspected of an offence from = one EU=20 country to another, so that criminals have no hiding place in = Europe (IP/11/454).=20 But the system is impeded if judges refuse to extradite accused = persons=20 because detention conditions in the requesting = country=20 are substandard.

Prison = overcrowding and=20 allegations of poor treatment of detainees may also undermine the = trust=20 that is necessary for judicial cooperation within the European = Union. The=20 time that a person can spend in detention before being tried in = court and=20 during court proceedings varies a lot between Member States. = In some countries, a = person can be=20 held in pre-trial detention for up to four years Excessively long = periods=20 of pre-trial detention are detrimental for the individual, can = prejudice=20 judicial cooperation between Member States and run counter to EU = values.=20

Options for = improving mutual=20 trust between judicial authorities raised in the Green Paper = include=20 promoting exchanges of best practice on detention conditions = between=20 national administrations, alternatives to detention for children, = and=20 better monitoring of prison conditions by national governments.=20

Background

The Commission's = public=20 consultation is open to legal practitioners, those working in = prisons and=20 probation services, national administrations, non-governmental=20 organisations and anyone else with an interest in detention = issues.=20 Responses can be submitted until 30 November 2011.

For more information

Green Paper on the application of EU = criminal=20 justice legislation in the field of detention:

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/policies/criminal/pro= cedural/docs/com_2011_327_en.pdf=20

Justice Directorate General = Newsroom:

h= ttp://ec.europa.eu/justice/news/intro/news_intro_en.htm

Homepage of Vice-President Viviane = Reding, EU=20 Justice Commissioner:

http://ec.europa.eu/reding

Annex: PRISON = POPULATION IN THE=20 EUROPEAN UNION 2009-2010

EU Member States Data from 2009/2010	Prison population total (including pre-trial = detainees/ remand=20 prisoners)	Pre-trial detainees (percentage of prison = population)	Occupancy level (based on official = capacity)	Prison population rate (per 100 000 of national = population)	Non-national prisoners (percentage of = prison=20 population, incl. non-national EU citizens) and = 3rd country=20 nationals)	Juveniles / minors (pecentage of prison = population)
Austria	8 671	23,7%	102,9%	103	45,8%	2,6 %
Belgium	10 501	35%	118,9%	97	41,1%	0,3 %
Bulgaria	9 071	10,4%	155,6%	120	1,9%	0,5 %
Cyprus	831	38,4%	150,5%	105	59,6%	0,6 %
Czech Republic	22 575	11,3%	111,9%	214	7,3%	0,7 %
Denmark	3 967	34,9%	96%	71	21,9%	0,5 %
Estonia	3 436	21,9%	97,2%	256	39,4%	1 %
Finland	3 231	17,1%	98,2%	60	10,3%	0,1 %
France	59 655	27,7%	118,1%	96	19,2%	1,1 %
Germany	69 385	15,5%	89,0%	85	26,3%	3,5 % (of pre-trial prisoners=20 only)
Greece	11 547	27,4%	129,6%	102	43,9% -	4,4 %
Hungary	15 373	29,3%	127,7%	153	3,8%	3 %
Ireland	4 409	14,9%	103,7%	99	10,8%	2,4 %
Italy	68 795	43,6%	153%	113	36,9%	0,5 %
Latvia	7 055	28,3%	70,4%	314	1%	2,1 %
Lithuania	8 655	14%	85,5%	260	1,2%	2,5 %
Luxembourg	706	47,2%	99,3%	139	69,5%	0,7 %
Malta	583	35,2%	84,5%	140	40,1%	6,1 %
The Netherlands	15 604	36,3%	86,4%	94	27,7%	4,7 %
Poland	82 794	10,3%	97,4%	217	0,7%	0,3 %
Portugal	11 896	19,4%	98,5%	112	20,2%	0,7 %
Romania	28 481	16,5%	81,4%	133	0,7%	1,6 %
Slovakia	10 044	17,4%	94,6%	185	1,8%	0,8 %
Slovenia	1 385	24,4%	124,2%	67	10,8%	2 %
Spain	73 520	18,7%	136,3%	159	35,5%	0 % (2,1 % under 21)
Sweden	7 286	24,7%	105,4%	78	28,7%	0,1 %
United = Kingdom
a) = England & Wales	85 = 206	14,9%	107,2%	154	12,9%	1,9 %
b) Scotland	7 = 781	20.2%	105,2%	149	3,4%	1,5 %
c) Northern Ireland	1 = 557	36,8%	82,7%	86	8%	1 = %

Sources: International = Centre for=20 Prison Studies =E2=80=93 King's College: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/law/research/icps/worldbrief/?= search=3Deurope&x=3DEurope

and Eurostat =E2=80=93 statistics in = focus =E2=80=93 58/2010

Contacts :

Matthew Newman=20 (+32 2 296 24 06)

Mina Andreeva (+32=20 2 299 13=20 = 82)

Press = Releases