Since 2012, EuroPris has been exploring the impact of the transfer of prisoners under the EC Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA and supported the EuroPris members administrations by sharing the challenges and obstacles in implementing the legislation and in undertaking practical transfers. As the implementation deadline passed at the end of 2014, EuroPris decided to invite in 2015 experts from the central authorities of all 28 EU Member States. The first meeting with representatives from 13 countries took place in Brussels on 6 & 7 July. The meeting focused on legal challenges and obtaining of prisoners consent, on completion of the transfer certificates and timing, on practical transfer arrangements, sentence adaptation, prison conditions, on the use of FD 909 in conjunction with the EAW, on early release schemes and collection of transfer data and of numbers of detainees from the different European countries.

The STEPS 2 Resettlement project, as cooperation of England & Wales, Spain, Romania, Italy and Belgium is dealing with practical transfer problems, with information exchange – what kind of information is needed and how can it be digitally transferred, with victims issues, social rehabilitation practices and with training for judges/prosecutors/competent authorities, all in relation to this Framework Decision. Since this project is so much related to the work of this expert group we used the opportunity to link both of them. Before the start of the meeting an e-learning module on how to complete the transfer certificate and all related issues was tested by participants from 8 countries. During the meeting NOMS presented the development of the offender handbook consisting of general FD 909 information and a template for country specific information. The university of Ghent shared their work on the collection and transfer of data. Also the EC e-CODEX project that will start piloting digital exchange of FD 909 related data between EU MS later this year was introduced.

The second meeting on this subject with representatives of the other EU Member States will take place on 28/29 September in The Hague. After that a comprehensive report of the discussions will be shared with the participants and in the EuroPris newsletter and on our website.

Click here to read the final report of the 2015 expert group meetings.