To: "ACLU" , "Action Center" , "amnistia internacional" , "Human Rights Action Network" , "Human Rights Watch" ,

Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 13:23:35 +0100

Subject: [PRISONACT] EUROPEAN UNION/USA

From: Rick Halperin

Sept. 4

EUROPEAN UNION/USA:

EU, U.S. to Hold First Top Level Extradition Talks---Attorney General John Ashcroft will meet EU justice ministers next week

In Copenhagen, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is to meet EU justice mi= nisters next week for the 1st time to try to boost cooperation over extradi= tion, EU sources said on Tuesday, with the death penalty a key sticking poi= nt.

European Union nations want to cooperate more closely with the United States in the fight against terrorism, but do not want any extradition deal that could lead to their citizens facing the death penalty.

"This meeting will give us the opportunity to discuss how we, in close cooperation between the EU nations and the United States, can strengthen...the fight against international terrorism," said Danish Justice Minister Lene Espersen, whose country holds the EU's 6-month rotating presidency.

Danish justice ministry officials said the talks would be in Copenhagen on September 14.

They also said Denmark hoped to make substantial progress in extradition an= d cooperation talks and also get a deal on exchange of personal data between the EU's law enforcement agency Europol and the United States.

A new EU-U.S. cooperation deal could lead to joint interrogations using video conferencing across the Atlantic and working more closely on criminal and terrorism investigations.

But the EU also wants to seek guarantees that its nationals will not face lifelong jail terms in the United States.

U.S. officials have said Washington may not be prepared to issue blanket guarantees on the death penalty, but might give them on a case-by-case basis. The talks also have to address differences on data protection and the U.S. use of military tribunals to try foreign terrorist suspects.

British civil liberties group Statewatch and the International Federation of Journalists criticized the EU for withholding details of the negotiation= s from the public, saying it was "unacceptable secrecy that downgrades demo= cracy."

But the EU's chief negotiator dismissed the criticism.

"In accordance with normal procedures, we do not wish to reveal every detail of our negotiation position and strategy to our counterparts," said Jakob Scharf, director general for international affairs in the Danish justice ministry. He said the EU would address human rights questions during the talks.

Only four EU member states -- Britain, the Netherlands , Ireland and Italy -- extradite their nationals to the United States. Germany, Portugal , Greece and Austria have told their EU partners they have constitutional problems with this and may not be able to do so in the future.

Washington has bilateral agreements on mutual legal assistance, covering ex= change of information and cooperation in crime-busting, with nine EU states.

(source: Reuters)

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