Extradition & Mutual Legal Assistance

The United States and the European Union signed extradition and mutual legal assistance agreements June 25, 2003, that will provide "additional tools to combat terrorism, organized crime, and other serious forms of criminality," U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said at the signing ceremony. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, "our law enforcement partners in E.U. member states have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us in the fight against international terrorism," Ashcroft said. "These two treaties represent only the most recent steps we have taken to strengthen our close law enforcement relationships." The U.S. and EU legal systems, he said, "do not agree on all points, and the treaties take this into account....The United States and E.U. member states share far more in terms of values, legal traditions and world-view than we have differences between us. As long as we bear this in mind, we will prevail over those who would seek to weaken the links between us."

Some 50 officials from U.S. investigative agencies, prosecutorial offices, and the State Department were in Europe from April 6-8, 2005, for a seminar on the criminal justice and border management systems of the European Union and its Member States, hosted by the Luxembourg Presidency, the Council secretariat and the European Commission. The first two days of the seminar focused on the building of a European criminal justice and police area (including initiatives such as the European arrest warrant and mutual recognition of judgments); data protection; visas, immigration, borders and biometrics; the use of national security and classified information; terrorism and financial crime; and relations with non-EU countries. The seminar also provided an overview of criminal law, police, and intelligence systems in the various EU Member States. The third day of meetings was held at Europol and Eurojust in The Hague.

2006: U.S.-EU Summit Declaration (Jun 21, 2006) and 2006 U.S.-EU Summit Progress Report on Political and Security Issues | U.S., Greece Sign Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance Accords (Jan 18, 2006)

2005: U.S., Portugal Sign Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance Pacts (Jul 14, 2005) | U.S.-European Union Cooperating on Combating Terrorism (Jun 17, 2005) | U.S., Lithuania Sign Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance Accords (Jun 15, 2005) | EU, U.S. Hold Seminar on Criminal Justice, Border Management Systems (Apr 5, 2005)

2004: Bush Asks Senate to Approve Legal Assistance Treaty with Germany (Nov 16, 2004) | Attorney General Ashcroft Addresses EU Justice Ministers (Sep 30, 2004) | Fact Sheet on Updated U.S.-UK Extradition Treaty (Aug 3, 2004)

2003: Ashcroft Remarks on New U.S.-EU Legal Treaties (Jun 25, 2003) | Text of U.S.-EU Extradition and Legal Assistance Treaties (PDF, Jun 2003)