Home Secretary Theresa May announced in a statement yesterday (October 15th 2012) that the Government is planning for the UK to pull out of a swathe of European Union law and order legislation and then potentially opt back in to some of the ones that suit the country.
In a deal agreed under the Lisbon Treaty in 2007, the UK has until June 2014 to opt out of more than 130 EU justice measures, including the European Arrest Warrant, which was supported by the Liberal Democrats in the last election.
The opt-out, agreed by the last Government, means that this one either has to pull out of all 130 EU crime and policing measures agreed before that treaty came in to force in 2009, or none of them and Mrs May has said that this Government prefers the former option.
After the opt out, the Government could then opt back in to some of the measures, as long as the rest of the EU agreed and it is likely that the Lib Dems would push for the re-adoption of the European Arrest Warrant.
Responding to Mrs May’s statement, a spokesman for the European Commission said that it was not surprising that the UK wanted to exercise its right under the Lisbon Treaty and confirmed that it has every right to do so and to opt back in to some or all of the provisions.