ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:95110203.WWE
DATE:11/02/95
TITLE:02-11-95 U.S. AND EU TO COOPERATE IN FIGHTING TRANSNATIONAL CRIME
TEXT:
(Will be discussed at upcoming Madrid summit) (500)
By David Pitts
USIA Staff Writer
Airlie, Virginia -- The United States "stands ready to form a
partnership with the European Union (EU)) to deal with the problem of
transnational crime," Mark Richard, an assistant U.S. attorney
general, said November 2.
Speaking at a two-day conference on U.S.-EU issues, titled
"Transatlantic Ties and Tensions," Richard, who oversees the
international enforcement effort in the criminal division of the
Justice Department, said the issue will be on the agenda at the
upcoming Madrid summit, which President Clinton will attend.
Richard underlined Clinton's view that "the growing problem of
transnational crime is a national security issue" for the United
States as well as members of the EU. The main focus is organized
criminal activity across frontiers, the threat of international
terrorism, and transborder narcotics trafficking, he explained.
The U.S. official welcomed bilateral cooperation with the EU to fight
transnational crime, but at the same time he said he hoped such
emerging cooperation "will not upset bilateral relations with
individual EU member nations because they have been very effective" in
the area of fighting international crime.
But the current threat "poses unique challenges and requires us to
question traditional ways of responding," Richard said. Current
mechanisms for investigating, detecting, and prosecuting crimes "are
inadequate" in view of increasing criminal activity across frontiers;
greater cooperation is required, he added.
Richard outlined the problem areas that U.S.-EU cooperation is
focusing on:
-- Widely different extradition laws among the nations involved. "No
country should be a sanctuary for criminals," he remarked.
-- Lack of effective data exchange. "Rapid exchange of information and
intelligence is needed," he noted. He welcomed the introduction of
Europol (an EU-wide information system on criminal activity that
recently has been established) and underlined the importance of
Interpol, the European police agency, with which U.S. law enforcement
agencies have built "good relations."
-- Flawed prosecution of transnational criminals because of lack of
"common evidentiary techniques." He called for a common approach by
all countries toward such tools as wiretaps, undercover activities,
and sting operations, with appropriate safeguards to protect civil
liberties.
-- Coordination problems among law enforcement agencies and foreign
affairs ministries, intelligence units. The fight against
transnational crime "requires adequate coordination" among these
agencies nationally and among their counterparts overseas, he said.
-- Duplicate assistance programs by the United States and the EU to
countries requiring law enforcement assistance, particularly in
Central Europe. "This needs to be addressed so that assistance can
have the maximum effect," he said, suggesting a clearinghouse as one
way of addressing the problem.
Richard described these issues as being "at the cutting edge of law
enforcement and national security." Proposals by law enforcement
experts both in the United States and the EU on these and other issues
have been readied for discussion in Madrid, he added.
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