Author: Mihael Pojbič

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 69

ISBN-13:

Mutual recognition in the EU is both a goal and a principle in of itself, constructed and operationalised through individual provisions. The principle of mutual recognition is regarded as fundamental in enabling cooperation between Member States both in civil and criminal matters. The principle of mutual recognition has long ago outgrown the Internal Market and seeped through into judicial matters between Member States in the AFSJ. The accompanying realisation that the EU is not just an economic area is therefore evident. Since the inception of the idea of a Europe free of classical border checks facilitating freedom of movement was manifested, the fear of circumventing the application of judicial decisions became evermore real. Therefore, monumental changes in the fields of international criminal and international private law were expected and implemented in the European union (EU), through the principle of mutual trust and mutual recognition. Subsequently, classical concepts of private international and international criminal law gave way to Europeanised concepts of exequatur, the public policy exception, the principle of reciprocity, the principle of double criminality and the principle of specialty to name a few. It should be noted that these rules had been reserved to be enacted by the Member States. However, by loosening those principles the guarantees and freedoms which they either explicitly or implicitly guard are in danger of being sidestepped in order to enable mutual recognition. Therefore, at the forefront of the debate of mutual recognition of judicial decisions is the question of protecting fundamental rights and legal principles enshrined both in European and domestic legislation of the Member States. The balancing act that the EU preforms has to be careful enough to facilitate mutual recognition while not jeopardizing mutual trust between Member States. Today both EU private international law and EU criminal law work on the basis of the provisions which facilitate mutual recognition and limit it within the AFSJ. Since the basic idea behind mutual recognition is the same, i.e. free movement of judicial decisions, both their manifestations and their limits should strive to respect the basic framework of the field of law form which they stand. While the principle of mutual recognition has been slowly and methodically evolving, there is a sense of urgency with the development of the principle of mutual recognition in criminal matters.