| Counterterrorism/Justice, Freedom & Security |
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"As High Representative I must help ensure consistency between different areas of our Common Foreign and Security Policy, and also with other policy areas. I must also give the right impulses for the future: I intend to use fully the right of initiative conferred to the High Representative by the Treaty [of Lisbon] to make proposals in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy. In doing so, I can maximize the synergies that arise from my two roles."
– Catherine Ashton "I am...convinced that the Lisbon Treaty is the right moment to reorient our policies in the field of Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, and to turn them into practical results...There can be no area of justice and no mutual trust without common fundamental rights standards based on our common values."
- Viviane Reding "Within my own area of competence – EU internal affairs – there are a number of difficult, but very interesting issues that should be dealt with urgently. I intend to further develop a common immigration and asylum policy, while simultaneously creating a legal system for immigration to Europe. An internal security strategy, based on respect of fundamental rights and solidarity between Member States, is another important priority."
- Cecilia Malmström Justice, Freedom and Security High on EU-US Transatlantic Agenda The European Union and the United States share common concerns on global challenges such as terrorism and serious transnational crime. They have pledged to address these challenges jointly in the framework of the New Transatlantic Agenda. The events of September 11, 2001 and subsequent terrorist attacks gave additional impetus to EU-US cooperation in the justice, freedom and security area. EU-US relations in the field of justice, freedom and security have been an enormous growth area over the last years and are moving into a phase of consolidation. The ground breaking EU-US agreements on mutual legal assistance and extradition, for instance, have to be ratified and implemented in order to come into force. EU-US consultations at Ministerial, senior and working level on topical issues of common concern such as biometrics in passports, US VISIT program, visa issues, the sharing of information and judicial cooperation in criminal matters take place on a regular basis. These consultations have proven highly valuable for early warning, up-front consultation and dissuasion of potential conflicts. The US requirement for travelers entering the US visa-free as part of the Visa Waiver Program to carry biometric passports as of October 26, 2005 (concerns only passports issued after that deadline) was a contentious issue in 2005 until the US government decided to postpone the deadline to October 26, 2006. The potential impact of that measure on travel to the US could be minimized because EU Member States are required to issue biometric passports incorporating a digitized facial image on a chip as of August 28, 2006 according to EU legislation. Another issue which is under discussion with the US is the possibility of allowing citizens of all EU Member States to travel visa-free to the US, in other words an extension of the US Visa Waiver Program. While US citizens can travel without a visa to all EU Member States, citizens of some EU Member States still require a visa to travel to the US. Reciprocity is an integral part of the EU’s common external border and visa policy; therefore completing visa reciprocity between the US and all EU Member States is of highest political importance to the EU. The European Commission monitors progress and will continue to negotiate with the US, in close cooperation with the EU Member States concerned, until reciprocal visa-free travel is achieved. Fight against Terrorism Justice and Home Affairs relations with the United States have developed since the mid-90s under the umbrella of the New Transatlantic Agenda, the overall framework of EU-US relations. A specific vehicle for justice, freedom and security cooperation was created in the form of twice-yearly “informal” Justice and Home Affairs Troika meetings. After the events of September 11, 2001, the semi-annual informal Justice and Home Affairs meeting became an important platform for EU-US counterterrorism cooperation. The EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers adopted on September 20, 2001 a series of conclusions, which include a number of concrete measures aimed at improving transatlantic relations in the fight against terrorism. The extraordinary European Council meeting adopted on September 21, 2001 an EU Action Plan on the Fight against Terrorism. The Action Plan contains specific references to the need to improve EU-US relations. EU-US counterterrorism cooperation in the area of justice, freedom and security after September 11, 2001 has been very successful. Concrete results were achieved with the signature of several agreements: two Europol-US agreements in December 2001 and December 2002, the latter allowing for sharing of personal data. Following these two agreements, Europol has posted two liaison officers at the European Commission's Delegation in Washington, DC. In June 2003 the EU-US Summit signed two criminal judicial cooperation agreements on Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition. In addition, contacts have been established between the EU body for judicial cooperation in criminal matters, EUROJUST, and US law enforcement authorities, and a cooperation agreement is under negotiation. The EU and the US further signed an agreement on the transfer of passenger data in May 2004. The annual EU-US Summit and the Ministerial meetings regularly discuss terrorism/justice, freedom and security issues. The EU-US Summit of June 26, 2004 adopted a comprehensive joint declaration on combating terrorism including financing, preventive measures and transport security. Moreover, the two sides agreed in September 2004 to hold an annual Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial meeting. In addition to these agreements, an intensive dialogue is conducted on issues relating to travel document security (“biometrics”), visa policies, information sharing on lost and stolen passports and other border control and migration management issues. In spring 2004 a new forum was established under the name of the "EU-US Policy Dialogue on Border and Transport Security." This forum, which first met in April 2004, meets twice a year. It brings together the main players in these fields from both sides of the Atlantic. The goal of the forum is to enhance mutual understanding and complementarity of EU-US security policies and improve security in land, air and maritime environments. Apart from terrorism In June 2001, at the EU-US Summit in Gothenburg (Sweden), in the concluding statement, the EU and the United States reiterated the need to take mutually reinforcing action in response to common problems in fighting international crime, including trafficking in human beings, cybercrime and crime related to drugs. They also stressed the importance of a comprehensive and integrated approach to asylum and migration issues based on a commitment to human rights, existing international agreements and support for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Cooperation in these areas includes:
European Union Delegation, Washington, DC, Staff USEFUL Links: European Commission Websites
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 03 September 2010 ) |