MPs debate UK’s 2014 Justice and Home Affairs opt-out decision

The motion for debate was moved by Home Secretary Theresa May. Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, responded on behalf of the Opposition.

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Further information 

UK’s 2014 Justice and Home Affairs opt-out decision

In September 2012, the Prime Minister announced that the Government intended to exercise the right conferred exclusively on the UK by the Lisbon Treaty to opt out of EU police and criminal justice measures adopted before that Treaty entered into force on 1 December 2009.

The Government’s decision on the block opt-out will determine the extent to which two EU institutions – the Commission and Court of Justice – will have a role in overseeing the application of pre-Lisbon EU criminal law and policing measures in the UK.

The EU Council must be notified about the block opt-out decision by 31 May 2014, with the decision taking effect in December 2014.

Relevant documents

The following select committee reports and government responses were identified as relevant to the debate:

European Scrutiny Committee Report and Government Response

• UK’s block opt-out of pre-Lisbon criminal law and policing measures, Twenty-First Report, HC 683
• The 2014 block opt-out: engaging with Parliament, Thirty-Seventh Report, HC 978

Home Affairs Committee Report and Government Response

• Pre-Lisbon Treaty EU police and criminal justice measures: the UK’s opt-in decision, Ninth Report, HC 615
• Pre-Lisbon Treaty EU police and criminal justice measures: the UK's 2014 opt-in decision, Fourth Special Report, HC 954

Justice Committee Report and Government Response

• Ministry of Justice measures in the JHA block opt-out, Eighth Report, HC 605
• Ministry of Justice measures in the JHA block opt-out, Third Special Report, HC 972

Joint Report from Committees

• First Joint Report from the European Scrutiny, Home Affairs and Justice Committees, on the Government’s response to the Committees’ Reports on the 2014 block opt-out decision, HC 1177

House of Commons Library analysis

The House of Commons Library produces briefing papers to inform MPs and their staff of key issues. The papers contain factual information and a range of opinions on each subject, and aim to be politically impartial.

This note was prepared for the parliamentary debate on 15 July 2013.

• Read Library briefing paper: In brief: the 2014 block opt-out and selective opt-back-ins.

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