Six European Union states agreed today they would aim to introduce an EU-wide arrest warrant in 2003, officials said.
Spain, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal and Luxemburg will make legislative changes to replace existing cumbersome extradition procedures with the warrant, adopted by the 15-nation bloc in December, a year earlier than planned, they said.
"They will make arrangements in their national legislation . . . to implement the European arrest warrant at the latest during the first three months of 2003," European Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Mr Antonio Vitorino told reporters.
The warrant covers crimes ranging from terrorism and hijacking to fraud and money laundering and was part of the EU's response to the September 11th attacks on the United States.
Other EU states, a number of whom have to make constitutional changes or face cumbersome legislative procedures, have until 2004 to implement the warrant.
