Suspects in criminal cases should be given a written summary of their rights, in the language of their choice, in any member state of the European Union, the European Commission decided today (20 July). The proposal needs to be approved by member states and by MEPs before it can take effect.

The proposal for a ‘letter of rights’ is a second step in a programme to set uniform standards for fair trials across the EU. The first step was the right to interpretation for defendants, which was adopted by the European Parliament on 16 June after being endorsed by member states.

The proposed letter will spell out a suspect’s right to be informed of the offence he or she is accused of, the right to a lawyer, the right to an interpreter and to translated documents, and the right to know how long he or she can be detained.

Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, said that common rules were required because the current situation was “very confusing”. She said that 12 member states already had some form of written information on suspects’ rights, with six others providing oral information.

“Individuals will get this letter of rights no matter where they are in Europe,” she said, “and they will get it in their language.”

Differences between member states in the level of protection enjoyed by suspects in criminal cases have come into focus in recent years with the increasing use of the European Arrest Warrant, an EU-wide mechanism for expedited extradition. In 2008, 14,000 such warrants were executed, according to the Commission.