TOLEDO (Spain) Nov 24: Justice ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain finalized plans on Monday to introduce a Europe-wide arrest warrant that makes it easier to extradite suspects wanted on a range of crimes.

The ministers, meeting in this central Spanish city, agreed on the new EU legislation that covers 32 serious crimes ranging from terrorism to drug trafficking and punishable by a minimum three years in prison.

“The European arrest warrant was a great ambition and today it is a great reality,” said Spanish Justice Minister Jose Maria Michavila, whose country has been fighting a long-running war with Basque separatists and has spearheaded the campaign in favour of the EU warrant.

“Judges, prosecutors and police in all EU countries will be now be able to work as a team,” he said.

French Justice Minister Dominique Perben hailed the new measure as “revolutionary” in the sense that it significantly shortens extradition proceedings that currently take an average 18 months.

“We are going to gain about a year during extradition proceedings,” he said.

The law is due to go into effect in January in Denmark, Britain, Portugal and Spain. France and Germany are in the process of adopting the legislation and are expected to implement it in early 2004.

“This is a very valuable tool for all of us,” said Patricia Scotland, British junior Home Office minister. “We are united in our purposes for the people of Europe to have the quality of justice they deserve.”

Under the new rules, the EU arrest warrant would be issued by a court without any political intervention as is currently the case in extradition proceedings.

However, legal procedures surrounding the extradition process would be quickened and a final decision on handing over a suspect must be taken within 60 days of his or her arrest.—AFP