The proportionality principle in the European Arrest Warrant

This thesis deals with a current issue in the enforcement of the European Arrest Warrant. Surrender procedures were originally «designed with major criminals in mind», but in an increasing number of cases they involved minor offences and “trivial cases”. This has caused a great concern about keeping the mutual trust in the Area of freedom, security and justice. In 2011 a Report of the European Commission stressed the importance of the respect of proportionality principle in this highly sensitive field of EU law. This essay analyzes the possibility of applying the proportionality check to the European Arrest Warrant in a fundamental rights perspective. Specific attention is paid to the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and to the Art. 52 par. 1, as a binding constitutional norm establishing the proportionality principle for the whole EU legal order