3. How to fix the European arrest warrant system

How is the EU going to stop the European arrest warrant, its fast-track extradition system, from being misused to prosecute bike thefts? At Fair Trials International we have been campaigning for years for a fairer European arrest warrant system, with a proportionality test to weed out trivial cases, as well as basic fair trial safeguards for people facing extradition.

In a report out on Monday, the European commission acknowledges that the arrest warrant is being misused for low-level crimes. It urges European member states to sort out the problem themselves, by only using the warrant for what it was intended to do – prosecute or punish "major crimes".

However, the problem is that the law applying the arrest warrant does not say it can only be used for major crime and it contains no "proportionality test". That is why countries such as Poland, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, with no prosecutorial discretion, must under their own law pursue every wanted person, no matter how minor the alleged crime.

Take, for example, the case of a retired schoolteacher and grandfather facing extradition to Poland for going over his overdraft limit more than 10 years ago. The entire debt was repaid to the bank but he is still being sought to face trial for "theft", although he has suffered three strokes and is in fragile health.

Extradition has an enormous impact on individuals and their families, yet this "no questions asked" system leaves judges no real discretion to refuse warrants – even when there are serious human rights concerns about sending someone off to the other side of Europe to be prosecuted or imprisoned.

Building a proportionality test into the system would mean amending the framework legislation by creating an amendment that every one of the 27 EU countries would then have to implement domestically. Though it has not ruled out legislative reform and has the power to recommend it, the commission would like to avoid this.

(from www.bbc.co.uk)

4. Japan 'to review energy policy' over nuclear crisis

Japan is to reconsider plans to increase its reliance on nuclear power in the wake of the crisis at the Fukushima plant.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Japan had to start from scratch with its energy plans following the disaster. The Fukushima plant has been leaking radiation since the 11 March earthquake and subsequent tsunami damaged cooling systems to the reactors.

More than 80,000 local residents living within a 20km (12 mile) radius of the plant have been evacuated from their homes. Agriculture and businesses have been hit and there is no timescale yet for allowing residents to return, although a small group were allowed inside the no-go zone briefly on Tuesday to gather belongings. Total compensation claims are not yet known, but analysts say they may be more than $100bn (£61bn).

Addressing a news conference, Mr Kan described nuclear power as a "major pillar" of Japanese society, along with fossil fuels. But he said other forms of energy would also be key in the future. "The current basic energy policy envisages that over 50% of total electricity supply will come from nuclear power while more than 20% will come from renewable power in 2030," he said. "But that basic plan needs to be reviewed now from scratch after this big incident." "Better safety must be ensured in nuclear power while renewables need to be promoted."

He said greater focus would also be placed on ways of conserving energy, turning Japan into an "energy-saving society". Mr Kan also said he would not take his prime minister's salary until the plant was under control and would be paid only as a member of parliament.

Tepco (Tokyo Electric Power Company) has said that it may take up to nine months to achieve a cold shut-down at the nuclear plant, which workers are struggling to stabilise.

Mr Kan's comments came hours after Tepco said it had presented a formal written request for assistance to Economy Minister Banri Kaieda. In a statement, the company said it faced "an extremely severe situation" in terms of raising funds and that it needed state help so that "fair and prompt" compensation could be paid to local residents.

(www.bbc.co.uk)