Organisation of the judicial system

Judicial cooperation

Text in original language, English and/or other available languages of the relevant national laws/provisions of the Criminal procedure codes on judicial cooperation in criminal matters:

Spanish Law 23/2014, of 20 November of mutual recognition of criminal decisions in the European Union (English official version provided by the Ministry of Justice of Spain) (in force: 11/12/2014):

It is a Law regarding mutual recognition instruments and it implements the following Framework Decisions:

2009/299/JHA - on Decisions rendered in absentia.

2006/783/JHA – on Confiscation Orders

2008/909/JHA – on Custodial sentences

2005/214/JHA - on Financial Penalties

2003/577/JHA – on Freezing Orders

2008/947/JHA – on Probation

2009/829/JHA – on Supervision measures

It also includes the Framework Decision on European Arrest Warrant (with important changes for issuing warrants based on proporcionality) European Protection Order and European Evidence Warrant.

This new Law withdraws the Spanish Laws implementing several mutual recognition instruments, namely Ley 3/2003 on European Arrest Warrant, Ley 18/2006 on Freezing Orders, Ley 1/2008 on Financial Penalties and Ley 4/2010 on Confiscation Orders.

Ley Orgánica 7/2014, de 12 de noviembre, sobre intercambio de información de antecedentes penales y consideración de resoluciones judiciales penales en la Unión Europea. Law implementing these two Framework Decisions:

2008/675/JHA – on Convictions

2009/315/JHA – on ECRIS

The Penal Code (Spanish version) implements: 

2001/500/JHA – on Money Laundering- implemented through Ley Orgánica 15/2003 de 25 de noviembre, por la que se modifica la Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal.
2005/212/JHA – on Confiscation- implemented through Ley Orgánica 5/2010, de 22 de junio, por la que se modifica la Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal.

Ley 31/2010, de 27 de julio, sobre simplificación del intercambio de información e inteligencia en la UE, implements:

2006/960/JHA-  on Exchange of information and intelligence

Law 11/2003 on Joint Investigation Teams implements:

2002/465/JHA – on Joint Investigation Teams

Ley Orgánica 1/2015, de 30 de marzo, por la que se modifica la Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal. (New piece of law amending the Penal Code). In force, on 1st July 2015. Through this law the following legislation will be transposed:

a) Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA: Racism and xenophobia of 28 November 2008.

b) Directive 2009/52/CE - on minimum standards on sanctions and measures against employers of illegally staying third-country nationals.

c) Directive 2011/93/EU - on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA.

d) Directive 2011/36/EU - on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA.

e) Directive 2013/40/EU - on attacks against information systems and replacing Council Framework Decision 2005/222/JHA.

f) Directive 2014/42/UE - on the freezing and confiscation of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime in the European Union.

g) Directive 2014/62/EU - on the protection of the euro and other currencies against counterfeiting by criminal law, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2000/383/JHA.

Proyecto de Ley por la que se regula el estatuto del miembro nacional de España en Eurojust, los conflictos de jurisdicción, las redes judiciales de cooperación internacional y el personal dependiente del Ministerio de Justicia en el Exterior which has been approved as Ley 16/2015, de 7 de julio, por la que se regula el estatuto del miembro nacional de España en Eurojust, los conflictos de jurisdicción, las redes judiciales de cooperación internacional y el personal dependiente del Ministerio de Justicia en el Exterior. It transposes, among other legal instruments, the following Framework Decision:

2009/948/JHA: Conflicts of jurisdiction of 30 November 2009

Links to some sections of the EJN website

Links to the relevant sections of the Council of Europe and United Nations Treaties Offices websites containing information on the conventions to which the Spain is party

National case law relevant for judicial cooperation in criminal matters

Useful national links

Recent national developments on judicial cooperation in criminal matters

The new law regarding mutual recognition in criminal matters within the EU, which contains ten chapters - one with general provisions and nine pertaining to different instruments, was implemented in 2014. An English translation of the law is already available in the EJN website, in the legal texts of this section (First point of "Resources"). In terms of EAW, proportionality has been introduced.

The competent authority to execute mutual recognition instruments is the centralized authority in Madrid, in cases of EAW (“Juzgados Centrales de Instrucción de la Audiencia Nacional”), and for probation and custodial sentences ("Juzgado Central de lo Penal de la Audiencia Nacional").

Regarding confiscation, Criminal Courts are allowed to confiscate all assets mentioned in certificates received by them, even if the assets are located in different parts of Spain. Regarding freezing orders, similar provisions are established in the new Law for Investigative Courts.

A website managed by the Spanish Council for the Judiciary (with the support of the Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutor Service), Prontuario, is a useful electronic tool for obtaining information on judicial cooperation in criminal matters.