The UK block opt-out in police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters: recent developments – Commons Library Standard Note

The UK notified the Council on 24 July 2013 that it would make use of the block opt-out option from EU acts in the field of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters adopted before the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

During May-June 2014 the UK Government negotiated opting back into 35 measures. The Member States must agree unanimously on the UK’s opting back into these measures, but at the General Affairs Council on 24 June 2014 some States expressed reservations.

This note looks at recent developments in the UK's negotiations and at parliamentary debates on the opt-out and opt-back-ins.

The House of Lords Justice, Institutions and Consumer Protection EU Sub-Committee invited contributions in July 2014 to a new inquiry, which would examine the role of the UK’s opt-in and international agreements.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: The UK's block opt–out of pre–Lisbon criminal law and policing measures http://www.europeansources.info/record/2nd-special-report-the-uks-block-opt-out-of-pre-lisbon-criminal-law-and-policing-measures-government-response-to-the-committees-twenty-first-report-of-session-2013-14/

Statewatch: News, 07.14: Protocol 36 UK "opt-out-in": Key documents http://www.statewatch.org/news/2014/jul/uk-eu-opt-in-out.htm

United Kingdom: Parliament: House of Commons: Parliamentary business: News: 2014: July: MPs debate UK's Justice and Home Affairs Opt-outs http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2014/july/mps-debate-uks-justice-and-home-affairs-opt-outs/

United Kingdom: Decision pursuant to Article 10(5) of Protocol 36 to The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, July 2014 Cm 8897 http://www.statewatch.org/news/2014/jul/uk-gov-decision-art-5-prot-36-cmnd-8897.pdf

United Kingdom: Parliament: Parliamentary Business: Committees: News, 28.07.14: The UK's Opt-in and International Agreements http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/eu-law-and-institutions-sub-committee-e/inquiries/parliament-2010/the-uks-opt-in-and-international-agreements/

Blog: Open Europe, 10.10.14: Between The Rock and a hard place: Spain threatens to shut UK out of EU crime databases http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/between-rock-and-hard-place-spain.html

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