Taking time to apply EU justice laws

11.10.2007 / 00:00 CET

I read with interest in last week's European Voice that EU citizens will not be able to challenge in court sensitive laws such as the European arrest warrant or legislation on Schengen before 2014 (‘Treaty deal delays ECJ powers over law enforcement legislation', 4-10 October).
And this is not because the EU does not want the laws to be challenged in court by citizens, but because member states do not want to. I wonder what the reasons are for this: is it that they do not want citizens to bother them when they extradite freely their nationals to other member states, or is it that they don't want anyone to see that they actually do not apply these laws, for instance on the arrest warrant?
Although most member states will try to portray this transition period as being a determined defence of their citizens' rights, in fact, what they are doing is buying time, avoiding applying these laws properly or applying them at all.

Arthur Vincent
Brussels

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