Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the European Arrest Warrant is planned to be fully operational during the implementation period.

The draft agreement reached with the European Commission in March means police and criminal justice cooperation, including using the European Arrest Warrant, with the EU and its Member States can continue through the implementation period to December 2020.

Negotiations on that draft agreement are ongoing, and in respect of some Articles drafting changes or clarifications are still required. Discussions continue in relation to specific aspects of the arrangements that will apply to the European Arrest Warrant.

As set out in the UK’s proposal for the Framework of the UK-EU Security Partnership published on 9 May, the government considers that current capabilities under the European Arrest Warrant allow for reliable and efficient provision of assistance between jurisdictions. It is in the interests of both the UK and the EU that these capabilities are preserved during the implementation period and we will continue to make that case