Judicial cooperation in criminal matters: right to interpretation and to translation in criminal proceedings. Initiative Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria, Portugal, Romania, Finland and Sweden

Regarding a directive on the rights to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings, the Council confirmed the agreement reached on 27 May 2010 by the Permanent Representatives Committee on a compromise text which was negotiated in recent weeks between representatives of the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission (doc. 10420/10).

Ministers also welcomed that the agreement on this file was reached so quickly and that talks with the European Parliament point to a first reading agreement in the coming weeks.

The directive is based on an initiative by 13 Member States (Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria, Portugal, Romania, Finland and Sweden) following an agreement that was reached unanimously by the Council in October 2009 in respect of a Commission proposal from July 2009. The text also takes account of a proposal that was submitted by the Commission in March 2010.

The directive is part of a wider package of legislative and non-legislative initiatives that aim at strengthening procedural rights of suspected or accused persons in criminal proceedings. The Council unanimously agreed on this wider package, or roadmap, in October 2009.