European arrest warrant and surrender procedures between Member States (debate) – Renew Vlad Gheorghe’s European Parliament speech on the European Arrest Warrant and Judicial Cooperation (18.01.2021).
We have the situation of the famous Romanian convicts who found their escape in Italy. Some escaped from prison with execution, others took refuge there because they knew that Italian law was lenient about extradition. This is one of the reasons why the European Arrest Warrant needs to be strengthened
Madam President, the last year has shown once again how strong a united Europe is. It cannot exist without a united justice, without a strong justice. A unitary justice allows for greater security of European citizens, stability and solid ground for the values we all share.
Therefore, the European arrest warrant needs to be strengthened and updated. We can no longer allow criminals to find refuge in some of the Member States. We can no longer allow the just punishment to be postponed or delayed for political reasons. It is time to be united in the fight against digital crime and the environment in particular. We need to unite condemn gender-based violence and hate crimes.
From tax evasion to crimes against humanity, judicial cooperation helps us build a safer Europe for us and our children. Commissioner, I urge you to support an improved European arrest warrant together. It must enable justice to be done in all the Member States of our great European family without delay.
