European Union Adopts Directive on Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings and in European Arrest Warrant Proceedings

On July 7, 2016, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), agreed to adopt the Legal Aid Directive by a vote of 44 to 1. The amended text was presented by the rapporteur Dennis de Jong (GUE/NGL) and was approved without further deliberations. On June 30, 2016, the European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the proposed directive, accommodating some of the modifications proposed by MEPs and NGOs.