Procedural rights of the suspected and accused persons in the criminal proceedings in the European Union. The right to interpretation and translation

Article 82(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides for the establishment of harmonised minimum standards which must be applied in both domestic and cross border cases to the treatment of suspects, accused and victims of crime. The necessary approximation of legislation would facilitate cooperation between competent authorities, and at the same time the extent of mutual recognition is very much dependent on a number of parameters, which include mechanisms for safeguarding the rights of suspected or accused persons and common minimum standards necessary to facilitate the application of the principle of mutual recognition. On October 20th 2010 the European Parliament and Council agreed on the Directive 2010/64/EU on the Right to Interpretation and Translation in criminal proceedings. The ratio legis of this directive is that common minimum rules should add to increased confidence in the criminal justice systems of all Member States.