A proposal put forward by the European Commission will give suspects the right to translation and interpretation during criminal proceedings.

The new regulations aim to guarantee a fair trial for people arrested and charged in European countries where they do not understand the language. At the moment, according to the Commission, the language barrier could lead to unfair convictions.

The Commission pointed to specific instances where European Union nationals had been denied access to an interpreter or translator, such as a Polish suspect on trial in France who had no way of understanding the evidence presented against him.

"Today we are taking a first important step towards a Europe where justice knows no borders," said EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding. "Nobody in the EU should ever feel that their rights and their protections are weakened simply because they are not in their home countries.

"Without clear guarantees that all EU countries respect our citizens' fundamental rights, how can we build trust between the authorities who should be working together to keep us safe?"

But two drafts of the proposals are being considered, and there are fears that the weaker of the two may compromise the rights of suspects.

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) says the terms are not strict enough. For example, one draft states that only "essential" documents need interpreting, a definition the CCBE says is "too vague and open to abuse."

The Daily Telegraph (London) has accused Britain of being one of 13 countries in favor of a "watered-down" version of the proposals.

The Justice Commissioner said she expected the regulations to be adopted quickly, because "justice and security go hand-in-hand."

14 March 2010