By a very large majority, the plenary session of the European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg in recent days, approved the two framework decisions on terrorism and the European arrest warrant proposed by the British Liberal MEP Watson. The report on the incrimination of terrorism (484 in favour, 32 against and 34 abstentions) and the report on the European arrest warrant (414, 123, 20) form part of the emergency package of measures proposed by the Council following the terrorist attacks of 11 September. The Commissioner for Justice, Antonio Vitorino, announced the publication by the end of this year of a Communication on the provision of common procedural guarantees (right to legal aid, appeal procedures, language assistance, burden of proof, preventive detention). The two proposals approved by the EP will now pass to the European Council for formal adoption in May: the framework decision on the definition of terrorism, and the sanctions against it, should enter into force on 1st January 2003, the European arrest warrant on the other hand will only come into force on 1st January 2004.
