Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it remains his policy for the UK to seek to remain a member of the European Arrest Warrant system following Michel Barnier’s speech of 19 June 2018.

Until we leave the EU, the UK remains a full member and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. We will continue to apply Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedure between member states, in line with EU law.

Regarding our future relationship with the EU, the UK is seeking a comprehensive security relationship which preserves mutually important operational capabilities whilst allowing the UK and EU to continue to work together to combat fast evolving security threats. The UK’s position is that it is the interests of both the UK and the EU to continue the efficient and reliable operational capabilities provided by the European Arrest Warrant once the UK leaves the EU, and we are working with the EU and Member States to ensure that this is the case.

The Council of Europe’s European Convention on Extradition continues to be an important basis for our work with a number of European countries who are not currently operating the European Arrest Warrant, including Norway and Switzerland.