Synopsis: |
Article 10 of Protocol 36 to the EU Treaties enables the Government to decide, at the latest by 31 May 2014, whether or not the UK should continue to be bound by the approximately 130 police and criminal justice measures which were adopted before the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force, or whether it should exercise its right to opt out of them all. The Government has decided to opt-out of these measures, but will seek to re-join 35 which it sees as in the national interest, including the European arrest warrant and Interpol. This paper provides explanatory memoranda on the opted-out measures covering the following areas: Schengen measures; measures for which the Justice Secretary is responsible; measures for which the Home Secretary is responsible, covering EU agencies, mutual legal assistance, drugs, proceeds of crime, extradition, crime (including cyber and organised crime), fraud and counterfeiting, database and automated information exchange; measures for which the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary and Transport Secretary have responsibility. |