Understanding new actors in European Arrest Warrant cases concerning detention conditions: The role, powers and functions of prison inspection and monitoring bodies

Prison inspection and monitoring bodies are becoming central players in European Arrest Warrant (EAW) decision-making. These bodies write reports on prison conditions and examine their compliance with fundamental rights. Now that poor prison conditions can be a basis to refuse an EAW’s execution, these bodies are becoming increasingly important actors in EAW decision-making process. While this is so, there is a remarkable lack of analysis on the legal structures and activities of such bodies. This article addresses this absence by presenting findings from the first European Union (EU)-wide study of prison inspection and monitoring bodies, providing new insights into the nature of these bodies. It provides both empirical insights into these structures for overseeing detention conditions and doctrinal analysis. It assesses the implications of an increased role for such bodies in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice.