CYIL 2014

ISSUE OF THE COOPERATION ON HOME AFFAIRS BETWEEN THE USA AND THE EU the EU and the U.S. would expand customs cooperation to ensure that general customs control takes due account of security concerns. The EU-US Joint Customs Cooperation Committee is mandated with finding an appropriate form and content for documents and measures with a view to continuing to implement intensified and broadened customs cooperation under the Agreement. On 15 November 2004, the European Community and the United States adopted, via the Joint Committee, Recommendations on strengthening the security of themaritime transport of containers under the Agreement. The adoption of these recommendations contributes to the full implementation of the EC-U.S. Agreement on ICS. The EU-US Joint Customs Cooperation Committee suggests that the working group continue to pursue the aim of mutual recognition and reciprocity of measures and standards. 4 The EU and the U.S. also recall the close operational partnership leading to international agreements and working arrangements between the U.S. and Europol, Eurojust and Frontex, respectively, and the posting of liaison officers at each other’s diplomatic representations and at Europol and Eurojust. Cooperation between the USA, Europol and Eurojust grows. Annual crime specific meetings between relevant U.S. prosecutors and representatives of Eurojust and Europol serve to increase the effectiveness of cooperation. The EU-U.S. agreements on extradition and mutual legal assistance and the conforming bilateral instruments provide for new tools for cooperation between U.S. police authorities and prosecutors and the EU Member States and Eurojust, such as the setting up of joint investigation teams (JITs), using video, tele-conferencing technology to take testimony and providing prompt response to requests on suspects’ banking and other financial services records together with the updated extradition and mutual legal assistance agreements between the U.S. and individual EUMember States, these agreements will facilitate and expedite assistance. An EU-U.S. working group promotes the implementation of the agreements, and seminars are planned to help practitioners employ the agreements to their fullest and monitor implementation. The fight against terrorism and transnational crime, law enforcement and information exchange for law enforcement, protection of personal data, border management, visa and migration policies have been the major focus of transatlantic cooperation in recent years. Several international agreements have been signed since, including a cooperation agreement with Europol, a working arrangement with FRONTEX, and agreements on the transfer of passenger name records and the processing and transfer of financial messaging data. The US Department of the Treasury’s “Terrorist Finance Tracking Program” 5 (TFTP) has been instrumental in identifying and capturing terrorists and their financiers and has generated many leads that have been disseminated for counter

4 http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/customs/l06026_en.htm. 5 http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/terrorist-illicit-finance/Terrorist-Finance-Tracking/Pages/tftp.aspx.

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