69 suspects sent back to Ireland on foot of EU arrest warrants

The EU's Justice Commissioner is warning countries not to over-use European arrest warrants.

Some 69 criminal suspects were extradited back to Ireland from other EU countries between 2005 and 2009.

However, Ireland issued 180 warrants in that period, meaning only 38% were successful.

Commissioner Viviane Reding has warned that the warrant is an important tool to catch criminals, but EU member states should ensure that it is used correctly.

“National governments need to build up trust between their judicial systems so that the European arrest warrant works even more efficiently," she said.

"In view of their important fundamental rights implications, European arrest warrants should not be issued mechanically, or automatically, for crimes that are not very serious such as bicycle theft."

In total, EU member states issued 54,689 European arrest warrants between 2005 and 2009, leading to 11,630 suspects being surrendered.

Among those surrendered, thanks to the European arrest warrant, were a failed London bomber caught in Italy, a German serial killer tracked down in Spain, a suspected drug smuggler from Malta extradited from the UK, a gang of armed robbers sought by Italy whose members were then arrested in six different EU countries and very recently a large international operation against highway cargo theft networks was dismantled in five countries.