Own-language rights for EU citizens in criminal trials

«New rules to guarantee that EU citizens facing criminal trials in another Member State may have the proceedings translated and interpreted into their own languages were backed by the Civil Liberties Committee on Thursday. An agreement reached by EP and Council representatives will be put to a plenary vote next week in Strasbourg. Member States will have three years to transpose the directive into their national laws.

Common minimum standards on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal cases in the EU, which will also apply to the execution of a European Arrest Warrant, are set out in a proposed EU directive to improve the rights of suspects or accused persons who do not speak or understand the language of the proceedings. This would "strengthen fair trial rights and equality of procedural rights throughout the EU", says Sarah Ludford (ALDE, UK), who is steering the proposal through Parliament.» Read more.