Until 6 February 2002 the maximum detention period for offences dealt with at the State Security Court was seven days (10 days in regions under a state of emergency.

Permanent reduction of maximum detention period to 14 days[17] Stop and search powers: general 58.

Under the Council Regulation the maximum detention period permissible in the absence of proof of commencement of legal proceedings or an agreement from any of the interested parties to abandon the goods, is twenty working days, if you require detention beyond this time you must seek the permission of the Court.

Establishing a maximum detention period is an essential element of the directive.

Mr Mate, we are talking about 18 months - the maximum detention period - not 6 months, as you said.

Nine Member States have no maximum detention period.

In my view, the Directive takes due account of humanitarian concerns about the deportation process, notably through the introduction of a maximum detention period of six months.

I also wish to make it clear that a maximum detention period of 18 months, which can be imposed by extending the six-month period for a further 12 months, may only be applied in extreme and exceptional cases.

Thus the maximum detention period of six months, which may be extended to 12 months, is well above the maximum period of custody provided for in my country, Luxembourg (3 months).